Glenn Hoddle thinks Arsenal will sign Martin Odegaard permanently – if they want to

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Glenn Hoddle has told his Footy Podcast that he thinks Arsenal will complete a permanent move for Martin Odegaard in the summer, if they want to sign the Norwegian at the end of his loan spell from Real Madrid.

Odegaard, 22, joined Arsenal in January on loan until the summer – but the deal was completed without the inclusion of a permanent clause in his contract. It means that Arsenal are stuck in a difficult position, especially if Odegaard performs well.

If Odegaard does well, his value will increase. Arsenal fans will be desperate to see their side buy him, but the Gunners may be outpriced over a deal. Leeds United found that out with Ben White last summer, as the Seagulls looked for £50million.

However, Hoddle is confident Arsenal will sign the ex-Real Sociedad and Vitesse loanee if they want to – and suggests a deal could already be in place should the Gunners look to sign him, even though he has been signed without a permanent clause.

“I don’t think they were 100 per cent convinced that he’d adapt to the Premier League. I think it’s the shrewdest way of looking at it from Arsenal’s point of view,” Hoddle says, regarding the decision to bring him in on loan without a permanent option.

“If he pulls the trees up. If he’s unbelievable and plays really, really well, they’ll have an option of some sort to buy him. There’s no doubt about that. Arsenal are in a process. They’re not the finished article. There’s a rebuild going on there.”

TBR’s view – Odegaard needs to get going if he is to earn Arsenal move

So far, he has been afforded just two substitute appearances. The first was just seven minutes against Manchester United, and the half an hour against Villa. He deserves to get a start and Arsenal’s poor form of late might tempt Mikel Arteta into that.

The return of European football might give Odegaard the platform to show what he is capable of, but whether he comes in for Emile Smith-Rowe in the Premier League remains to be seen. The Gunners are next in action against Leeds on Sunday.