ARSENAL are understood to be desperate to keep Martin Odegaard at the club with the playmaker dazzling during his loan spell from Real Madrid.
It has been claimed that the Gunners are willing to sign the Norwegian on another loan deal in the summer, or turn his stay into a permanent transfer.
Club legend Ian Wright has urged his former employers to do all they can to secure his services at the end of the season.
But Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane will ultimately have the final say on whether Odegaard will be remaining at the Emirates or moving back to Spain.
Should Arsenal miss out on the 22-year-old’s signature, SunSport has identified five potential No10s the FA Cup holders could target.
Paulo Dybala
The Juventus star faces an uncertain future in Turin as the Argentina international could be up for sale with the Old Lady looking to raise funds.
The 27-year-old hasn’t featured since January due to a knee injury, and Juve could look to cash in on him with his contract to expire next year.
However it is highly unlikely that Dybala would move to North London should Arsenal fail to qualify for Europe next term.
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Houssem Aouar
The Lyon ace was heavily linked with a switch to Arsenal last summer, only for the club to prioritise the signing of Thomas Partey instead.
And that decision could cost them with Juve believed to be interested in him to potentially replace Dybala.
But if Juventus fail to stump up the cash, Arsenal could look to reignite their interest in the player.
Emiliano Buendia
Another player that has been eyed up by Arsenal in the past, the Norwich ace was chased by the Gunners in January.
But Mikel Arteta’s side baulked at the Canaries’ £50million price tag, leading Arsenal to turn to Odegaard.
But Arsenal may have retained an interest in the player with Buendia chipping in with ten goals and 13 assists in 31 Championship matches this term.
Philippe Coutinho
Yet another player linked to Arteta’s floundering side last year, the Barcelona man has failed to live up to the hype at the Nou Camp.
And he could be set to return to the Premier League with Ronald Koeman willing to let him depart Catalonia.
According to reports, Coutinho is being eyed up by Arsenal as an alternative to Odegaard with Arteta a huge fan.
It’s been reported that Barcelona must pay Liverpool another £17m if the Brazilian plays 100 games – a target he’s 10 shy of – which could encourage the cash-strapped Spaniards to sell.
Jack Grealish
The Aston Villa skipper continues to be linked with a big-money move away from the Midlands, with Manchester City the latest side to register an interest in him.
While it is unlikely Grealish would consider a move down south to join Arsenal, Gilberto Silva tipped the club to secure his services.
Speaking in November, he said: “Grealish, amazing. It seems like he could be a player that Arsenal missed.
“With his ability, he was one of the guys in the middle who can play beautiful football. He controls the ball, assists and can score goals.
“He is slightly different from Dennis Bergkamp, but he could be somebody for the future at Arsenal.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
