Arsenal Rumors: Gunners Want Resurgent Man United Star As Martin Odegaard Fallback

Arsenal might have formulated a contigency plan if the club wouldn’t be able to keep its star loanee.

Martin Odegaard has managed to make his mark in Arsenal in just a short period of time. The loanee’s fine form has got Gunners boss Mikel Arteta already yearning for a permanent deal, but discussions with Odegaard’s parent club Real Madrid will not be held until the end of the season, Evening Standard reported.

The report added that should Arteta’s side fail to swing a deal for Odegaard, Arsenal will be open to exploring the situation of Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard.

Lingard has successfully revived his career at West Ham United on loan from Manchester United, having notched six goals and four assists in eight games for the Hammers.

It has been said that Manchester United and West Ham are expected to sort things out for Lingard with both clubs interested in keeping the English midfielder.

However, Lingard’s future remains uncertain at this point as no option to buy was included in the £3 million ($4.1 million) loan agreement between Manchester United and West Ham.

Hence, the Red Devils have yet to specify if they will be willing to sell, loan out, or keep Lingard.

As for the man himself, it doesn’t really matter if he plays for Manchester United or West Ham as long as the club would be willing to hand him the minutes he needed.

"Like I say, I just really wanted regular football and, you know, when I play week in, week out it builds confidence,” Lingard said last month. "I've been scoring goals and assisting to help my team - it's been amazing. Like I say, I just want to carry on that run of form now."

Odegaard, on the other hand, has earned the trust of Arteta in his first season with Arsenal.

The Spanish manager has recently raved about the 22-year-old’s performance, implying that Odegaard is the type of player Arsenal really needs.

“I think he had an incredible performance,” Arteta told the media including The Guardian of Odegaard. “I think he was very intelligent the way he read the game, the way he affected the game and again he showed how much he wanted to win. When everyone was a little trembling he gave us that stability and that composure on the ball and he created chance after chance. He’s been showing that, I think, from week one.”

“The way he steps on the pitch, he always wants the ball, the way he commands the pressing. He’s been really influential,” he added. “I think we’ve all been a bit surprised because he looks really shy and humble, but when he steps on that pitch he’s a real character and he loves to play football.”