Transfer Centre

Zinedine Zidane 'hijacked Tottenham Hotspur move for Martin Odegaard'

By Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter | 23 September 2023

Zinedine Zidane 'hijacked Tottenham move for Martin Odegaard'

Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane reportedly convinced now-Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard to snub interest from Tottenham Hotspur as a teenager.

While on the books with Norwegian outfit Stromsgodset, Odegaard broke into the first team at the tender age of 15, contributing to 12 goals in 23 top-flight games in the 2014 season.

Odegaard's emergence inevitably attracted the attention of a host of revered European clubs, but it was Real Madrid who won the race for his signature in January 2015, paying a mere £2.4m for his services.

The Scandinavian playmaker started out in the Blancos' Castilla team before being promoted to the first-team ranks under Zidane, by which point he had already made his senior debut as a 16-year-old.

Odegaard's switch to the Bernabeu did not work out for either party, as the midfielder only made 11 senior appearances without registering a goal or assist, while he was also loaned out to Heerenveen, Vitesse and Real Sociedad before touching down at the Emirates.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard pictured in August 2023 © Reuters

However, Odegaard has since blossomed into one of Europe's leading number 10s, netting more Premier League goals than any other midfielder last term, which marked his first full season as Arsenal captain.

Heading into Sunday's North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, the 24-year-old was recently rewarded with a new long-term Arsenal contract, which is believed to have made him their highest-paid player.

Odegaard could very well have been donning the white shirt of Arsenal's worst enemy, though, as The Mirror claims that Tottenham pulled out all the stops in a bid to sign him as a teenager.

The report claims that former Tottenham sporting director Franco Baldini met Odegaard's father and his Stromsgodset counterparts during a stopover in Norway, and he returned to the UK optimistic of concluding a deal.

However, Real Madrid and France legend Zidane is then believed to have personally called Odegaard to pitch a move to the Bernabeu, and the ex-Blancos boss succeeded in his attempts to win the player over.

Zinedine Zidane pictured at the Ballon d'Or awards in October 2022 © Reuters

Alongside Tottenham, Odegaard's current club Arsenal were also thought to have been tracking his development as a teenager, and the Gunners' previous pursuit worked in their favour during their attempts to sign him on loan in 2021.

Steve Morrow - an ex-Arsenal player and later their head of youth development until 2019 - has been credited with playing a crucial role in Odegaard's move to the Emirates, despite interest from other clubs in 2021.

Since penning his first contract with Arsenal, Odegaard has managed 27 goals and 15 assists in 112 matches for the North London side, who named him their Player of the Year last term.

The Norway captain will lead his side out at the Emirates for Sunday's derby, where head coach Mikel Arteta could equal a 43-year-old club record with a victory.