MARTIN ODEGAARD has said an emotional goodbye to Arsenal, after returning to Real Madrid.
The Norwegian spent the second half of last season on loan in North London from the Spanish giants.
Mikel Arteta hoped to keep the attacking midfielder at Emirates Stadium for a further campaign.
But the 22-year-old appears to have signalled his intention to stay at Madrid – by saying a final farewell.
He wrote on Instagram: “@arsenal , Thank you so much for these 6 months.
“My time with the Arsenal family will always hold a special place in my heart.
“I wanna thank everyone in and around the club for the way you made me feel like a part of the family since the first day.
“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.
“A huge thank you to the boss and his staff for everything I’ve learned during my stay.
“Thank you also to all my teammates for such a great time on and off the pitch. Will miss you all😘
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“Thank you, gunners family. Always in my heart ❤️🤍”
According to Fabrizio Romano, Madrid plan to keep Odegaard next season.
But they could flog his fellow creator Isco, should the right bid be tabled.
Odegaard made 20 appearances for the Gunners, scoring two goals and laying on a pair of assists.
Both of his goals were memorable ones, for entirely different reasons.
His first came in the Europa League, when he scored a stunner against Olympiacos.
And his other strike came against Spurs, when he helped the Gunners to a 2-1 North London derby win.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
