Martin Odeegard confirms Arsenal transfer decision in message to Mikel Arteta and Gunners fans. The Gunners were keen on bringing Martin Odegaard back to the Emirates Stadium in a permanent transfer, but the Norwegian international has all but confirmed that won’t happen.

Martin Odeegard confirms Arsenal transfer decision in message to Mikel Arteta and Gunners fans. The Gunners were keen on bringing Martin Odegaard back to the Emirates Stadium in a permanent transfer, but the Norwegian international has all but confirmed that won’t happen.

Martin Odegaard has all but confirmed that he will not be returning to Arsenal this summer.
It is believed the Gunners were keen to bring the Norwegian back to the Emirates on a permanent deal, following his loan spell in north London, but that now seems highly unlikely.

But Arsenal have been dealt a huge blow in their task of bringing the midfielder back to the club after the former loanee appeared to say goodbye to Arsenal fans on social media.
The midfielder spent the second-half of the 2020/21 campaign with Arsenal, scoring two goals in 20 appearances in all competitions.

The Gunners seemingly wanted to bring him back to north London amid a search for a creative midfielder, but that seems incredibly unlikely now that Odegaard has all but confirmed that he won’t be returning to the club on a permanent basis.

In a heartfelt Instagram message, the Norwegian said: “@Arsenal, Thank you so much for these 6 months.
My time with the Arsenal family will always hold a special place in my heart.
The midfielder continued to thank those who helped him settle in at the club, and had a message for the fans, too.

I wanna [sic] thank everyone in and around the club for the way you made me feel like a part of the family since the first day,” he added. “Special thanks to the fans, even without you guys at the stadium for the majority of the season, I felt you with me at all times.”

He concluded by expressing gratitude towards his former boss, Mikel Arteta, who immediately integrated the player into his struggling side, and his clubmates, for making him feel like a permanent part of the team.

A huge thank you to the boss and his staff for everything I’ve learned during my stay,” he continued. “Thank you also to all my teammates for such a great time on and off the pitch. Will miss you all.
“Thank you, gunners family. Always in my heart.”

Although his next move is still unclear, it looks as though Real Madrid’s new manager, Carlo Ancelotti, is keen to involve Odegaard in the first-team in the Spanish capital next season.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has admitted he was forcing himself to go and watch his former team’s matches during their slump period five years ago.

The Gunners have seen a recent resurgence under Mikel Arteta, who managed the club to their best finish since 2016 last year when they went toe-to-toe with Manchester City in the title race up until the final few weeks of the season. However, it’s a far cry from where they once were a few seasons ago.

Before Arteta’s introduction, the final years of Arsene Wenger and the start of Unai Emery’s reign saw the Emirates Stadium turn very toxic, culminating in an eighth-place finish in the league table. It was at this point where Henry claims he’d only show up to matches because of his allegiance to the club, not because he actually wanted to watch them play.

Despite his claim, he does recognise what the team has now become under Arteta with his former side winning an FA Cup and two Community Shields since the Spaniard came in. Even their start this season has caught the World Cup winner’s attention.

The Gunners are unbeaten domestically, having won six of their opening eight matches and sit joint-top of the table with rivals Tottenham heading into the international break. After that, they’ve got a date with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before a flight to Spain to face Sevilla in the Champions League.

It’s that competition, however, where their one loss this campaign has occurred, with Ligue 1 side RC Lens beating them 2-1 earlier this month thanks to goals from Adrien Thomasson and Elye Wahi. Despite that though, Henry says that’s it’s ok for Arteta to lose matches because his team are able to take things away from them and learn from their mistakes.

I think we are in a way better place than we were before,” he claimed on the Rest Is Football podcast. “I actually see myself in the team now, as a fan, not a player.
“I can accept a result, but you don’t accept defeat. It’s about being able to understand and accept the result, but you can’t accept the defeat.

The loss against Lens, it can happen, but I see a team fighting but making mistakes, it can happen. Five years ago I couldn’t relate to the team. I was going to the game because I had to, not because I wanted to.

“Just because I was an Arsenal fan I was going to the game not because I wanted to see them play. But I’d always go to the match if I was in London, because I was an Arsenal fan, that’s how it will always be. But now, I can see what they are about and can see the pieces that are missing.”