Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard will lead his team out for their crucial Premier League game against Manchester United, having twice been courted by the visitors.
The Norway international first joined the Gunners on loan from Real Madrid in January 2021, before completing a £30m permanent switch months later. He took the captain's armband after previous skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang got in manager Mikel Arteta's bad books and eventually left the club, and has led the team to the summit of the Premier League table.
Odegaard was just 16 when he first joined Real Madrid, having established himself in Norway with Stromsgodset. He could easily have become a Man Utd player, though, with the Daily Star revealing two separate managers explored the possibility of bringing him to Old Trafford.
United's first look at Odegaard came back in 2013. He was just 14 at the time and United - then managed by David Moyes - invited the teenager to their Carrington training ground.
The reigning Premier League champions took a wait and see approach at the time. However, 12 months on, he had already become the youngest ever player in Norway's top flight, while he also made his senior international debut at 15.
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By this point, United had replaced Moyes with Louis van Gaal, but could no longer offer Champions League football. There was a fair amount of competition by this point, but the Red Devils continued to push after seeing the youngster develop as they had hoped.
Is Odegaard the one who got away for Man Utd? Have your say in the comments section
Arsenal star Martin Odegaard could have joined Man Utd as a teenager (PA)As reported by the Star, United didn't bother with a trial and instead sent Van Gaal out to Norway to meet the teenager and attempt to sell the club's vision to him. However, the Dutch coach is said to have denied Odegaard his request to immediately train with the first-team squad.
This opened the door to other potential suitors, with the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich in the mix. It was Real Madrid, though, who won the race.
Odegaard officially moved to the Bernabeu in January 2015, shortly after his 16th birthday, and made his La Liga debut later that season as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo as Los Blancos beat Getafe. In the years since, though, he saw his opportunities limited.
Odegaard chose Real Madrid over Man Utd but saw his opportunities limited (NurPhoto via Getty Images)The Norwegian was unable to hold down a regular spot in Madrid under a variety of different managers. This led to a succession of loan spells, including an impressive season at Real Sociedad in 2019-20.
Since moving to Arsenal, he has established himself as a key member of Mikel Arteta's side. Now 24, the skipper has already equalled his career high of eight league goals in a single season, with half of the current campaign remaining.
On Sunday, Odegaard will look to pull the strings against a Manchester United side missing his former Madrid colleague Casemiro, who is ruled out through suspension. Missing out on the signing might be painful enough for United, but if he can produce a match-winning performance against the Champions League-chasing visitors then it would add insult to injury.
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