Arsenal believe that new signing Martin Odegaard's value could double in the near future, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.
What happened with Odegaard this summer?
After spending the second half of last season loan at the Emirates, Odegaard returned to Real Madrid at the start of the summer.
The Gunners were linked with James Maddison and Houssem Aouar during the recent transfer window as it seemed that they may miss out on signing Odegaard permanently.
However, they managed to get a deal for Odegaard agreed in the end, as they brought the Norwegian international back to north London for around £30m.
What has Romano said about Odegaard?
Romano has revealed that Odegaard was always the player that Arsenal wanted to sign in the recent transfer window. He has also claimed that the club are convinced that the attacking midfielder could soon be worth twice the price they paid for him last month.
Speaking about Odegaard on The Here We Go Podcast, Romano said: “He was the only name. It was first position Odegaard, second position Odegaard, third position Odegaard. Odegaard was the only one they wanted. The strategy was difficult because for Real Madrid he was untouchable at the end of May, untouchable in June, we will see in July, and then in August they were jumping at the deal in the right moment.
“So, congratulations to Arsenal. And they are really happy with Odegaard. The strategy has been perfect, and they are convinced that they spent €35m but this player will be worth maybe double in some months, so this is what they expect from Odegaard.”
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Could Odegaard be worth £60m in the coming months?
At this stage, he still has some way to go to reach that kind of value.
During his four-month spell at Arsenal last season, he registered one goal and two assists in 14 league appearances. Those are hardly the numbers you'd expect from a £60m player.
Then again, while Odegaard is still only 22, players of this age can make big strides in a short space of time, as we have seen with the likes of Mason Mount and Phil Foden over the last 12 months.
He also scored a brilliant free-kick against Burnley on Saturday to earn Mikel Arteta's side their second consecutive 1-0 league win ahead of this weekend's north London derby with Tottenham. If he can deliver more of these match-winning moments, his price-tag could rocket upwards over the next few months.