Arsenal: Stefan Borson labels £80m Martin Odegaard sale ‘very difficult’ as lack of buyers identified
Arsenal are going to find it “very difficult” to sell club captain Martin Odegaard for a substantial profit this summer.
That is according to former Manchester City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider there is a lack of realistic options for the Norway international.
It comes after The Telegraph reported on 5 March Arsenal will have to sell one first-team player in the summer transfer window following their spending this season.
The newspaper revealed there have been discussions around who would be the most lucrative sale, with a potential deal for Odegaard expected to bring in a sizeable profit if he were to leave.
It was also noted Gabriel Martinelli and Ben White are strong candidates to leave Arsenal if they are forced to sell a senior player this summer.
How much Arsenal will demand for Martin Odegaard
Odegaard, whose contract expires in June 2028, joined Arsenal permanently in a £34million deal from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 following a loan spell in the previous campaign.
The 27-year-old has struggled with injuries this season, limiting him to just 16 starts in his 27 outings, where he’s registered one goal and seven assists.
| Potential Market | Borson’s Verdict |
|---|---|
| Premier League | Unlikely to join domestic rival |
| La Liga (Real/Barca) | No funds / No interest in return |
| Serie A / Bundesliga | Zero financial capability for £80m fee |
| Ligue 1 (PSG) | Strategy shift away from this profile |
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson discussed Arsenal’s sale plans for the summer window.
“The players that are on that list, they're going to find it very difficult to sell them for a substantial profit,” said Borson.
“Not because they're not good players, just because the number of buyers for these sorts of players, the Odegaards, that you're going to want let's say £80m for.”
What transfer options does Odegaard have?
Borson questioned where the players linked with Arsenal exits could go this summer as he discussed the potential options for Odegaard.
“Who's going to buy them?” said Borson.
“How many teams in the world these days have that money? Nobody in Italy, zero. Bayern Munich can only buy one or two players a year. But if they're not interested, that's the whole of Germany gone.
“PSG have moved what they try and do now away from that sort of player, so they're probably out. Then you've got Real Madrid, and I very much doubt they're going to buy Odegaard back.
“Barcelona have got no money, so there's your universe of potential buyers because he's not going to go to another Premier League team in my view. It's all very well saying, ‘Well, we're going to sell these players for big money’. It's just not very simple to do.”