Arsenal are reportedly close to welcoming Real Madrid playmaker Martin Odegaard back to the Emirates on a permanent basis.
The 22-year-old arrived in North London on a six-month loan spell and quickly won over the fans with his energetic and creative displays, banking two goals and two assists in 20 games across all competitions.
Arsenal are understood to have prioritised the signing of Odegaard despite links with James Maddison and Houssem Aouar, and the Norway captain will supposedly put pen to paper on a five-year deal in a move worth just under €40m (£34.1m) to Real Madrid.
With the playmaker potentially being registered in time to face Chelsea this weekend, Sports Mole looks at the shirt numbers available to Odegaard at Arsenal.
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Odegaard was handed the number 11 jersey upon his arrival at the Emirates Stadium in January, but that number is no longer vacant at Arsenal following the return of Lucas Torreira from his loan spell at Atletico Madrid.
However, Torreira is not thought to be in Mikel Arteta's plans moving forward and is expected to complete a move elsewhere this summer, meaning that the '11' - previously sported by Mesut Ozil, Robin van Persie and Charlie George among others - could present itself to Odegaard again.
The 22-year-old has unsurprisingly sported the traditional '10' over the past three years for the Norway national team, but Emile Smith Rowe had that number bestowed on him following his new contract and is in no danger of losing it.
Dani Ceballos's return to Real Madrid has left the '8' up for grabs - a shirt worn by Arteta himself as well as Ian Wright, Freddie Ljungberg, Samir Nasri and Aaron Ramsey - so Odegaard could very well don that jersey with Arsenal not expected to pursue another central midfielder this summer.
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Thomas Partey's move to the famed '5' jersey means that the '18' is currently not in use at Arsenal, but that shirt does not have the greatest historical value at the club having been worn by the likes of Pascal Cygan, Mikael Silvestre and Sebastien Squillaci.
No shirt beyond the '35' is taken by a member of Arteta's squad, but Odegaard is highly unlikely to be granted a number that high, although the 26, 27, 28 and 29 are all on offer, with the Scandinavian starlet wearing the former two during his earliest days with Real Madrid's first team.
During his fleeting appearances for Los Blancos under Zinedine Zidane last season, Odegaard sported the '21' - the same shirt he wore during a productive loan spell with Real Sociedad - but Calum Chambers has held that number since his 2014 arrival and is now seemingly Arteta's first-choice right-back.
With any exit for Torreira highly unlikely to be sanctioned this week, the '8' is seemingly the most likely choice for Odegaard should his move to the Emirates go through in the next few days, and he would have some pretty big boots to fill if that is the case.
Ben Knapton
