Real Madrid reportedly do not possess a buyback clause for Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, despite recent reports linking them with a swoop for their former player.
Los Blancos fended off competition for several clubs to sign then-15-year-old Odegaard from Stromsgodset in 2015, but he was unable to make the desired breakthrough at the Bernabeu.
Odegaard made just 11 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions, and he was loaned out to Heerenveen, Vitesse and Real Sociedad before a temporary move to Arsenal in the second half of the 2020-21 season.
The 24-year-old's performances convinced Mikel Arteta to sign him permanently, and he has captained Arsenal to a seven-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table during a brilliant start to the 2022-23 season.
It has been claimed that Real Madrid are considering a bid to re-sign Odegaard, with the La Liga and Champions League holders supposedly holding first refusal on any bids for the Norway captain.
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However, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano insists that Carlo Ancelotti's side do not hold such a clause and are not considering a reunion with their former Castilla starlet in 2023.
Romano adds that Odegaard is "in love" with the project he is captaining at Arsenal, who had an "Edu masterpiece" to thank for his permanent €35m (£31m) capture in the summer of 2021.
The playmaker has 16 goals and 12 assists to show from 81 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal, including seven goals and five assists from 15 Premier League outings in the current season.
Odegaard struck his seventh top-flight goal of the campaign in Saturday's 4-2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion before producing a phenomenal pass for Gabriel Martinelli to score Arsenal's fourth at the Amex.
No Arsenal player has scored more goals than the former Real Madrid man in the league this season, and Arteta has been left delighted with the way that Odegaard controls the tempo of the game.
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"He is doing what we want him to do - to decide football matches and work really hard and deliver to the team what he needs in these moments which is different," Arteta said after Saturday's win over the Seagulls.
Odegaard, whose Arsenal contract does not expire until the end of the 2024-25 season, will be expected to captain Arsenal again when they take on Newcastle United at the Emirates on Tuesday.
Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah were also on target in the Gunners' six-goal victory at Brighton, which moved the North London club onto 43 points from their opening 16 games of the season.
Should Arsenal overcome third-placed Newcastle on Tuesday, they will temporarily open up a 10-point gap over Man City before the champions host Chelsea on Thursday evening.
Ben Knapton
