'I had talks with Martin Odegaard about joining Everton' - Insider
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard had the option of joining Everton before he ultimately decided to sign for Real Madrid.
That is according to former senior Everton scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
At the time, the teenager was being chased by every club in Europe after breaking through for Stromsgodset at the age of 15.
Odegaard spent five and a half years at Real Madrid before leaving for Arsenal, where he has become an icon.
The 27-year-old finally lifted the Premier League as the captain of the Gunners in May, and has started the new season in fantastic fashion with the sights fully set on retaining their title.
Odegaard was also one of the stars of the Norway team that shocked many by making it to the quarter final at this summer's World Cup.
'We had a meeting with Martin Odegaard when I was at Everton'
Odegaard was just 16 and one of the most talked about young players in Europe when he joined Real Madrid.
Yet it was ultimately a difficult time for the Norwegian in Spain. Having played first team football for Stromsgodset and already broken through for his nation, he would only ever make 11 senior appearances for Real Madrid.
"I saw him before he went to Madrid. We had a meeting with him when I was at Everton," King told Football Insider.
"Joe Royle was involved because Joe was at the club. And we sat and discussed about bringing Odegaard in. I spoke to his father on the phone, and the problem was that when I went to see him, there was about six other clubs.
"Everton, there was Arsenal, there was Manchester City, there was Manchester United, there was Bayern Munich, there was Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, every club, top club, was looking at Martin.
"He chose to go at that moment in time, and in many moments of time, Real Madrid. I think his first game, when he played for the first team, [Cristiano] Ronaldo came off and he went on."
Why did Odegaard pick Real Madrid?
Obviously, Real Madrid are arguably the biggest club in the world and would be an attractive proposition for any player.
But Odegaard has revealed that his decision to join them as a 15-year-old was not just driven by the name.
"In the end, Madrid is Madrid. They were the Champions League holders with the best players in the world. Back then, I loved Isco — he was so smooth on the ball. Another one of my kind of players," he told The Players' Tribune in 2023.
"But the really key thing about Madrid’s offer was that they had a B team where I could play competitive football immediately. And the manager of that team? Zinedine Zidane. It felt like the total package."