Footie Central | Football Blog Blogging the football world 
Arsenal have completed the loan signing of Real Madrid midfielder Martin Ødegaard on loan for the rest of the season.
The 22-year-old flew to London on Sunday, and. after undergoing his medical on Monday, the deal was signed.
The Gunners have agreed to pay a £2.5 million loan fee for him and will also cover his wages in full during his time in North London. The deal does not include an option to buy, but there is nothing to preclude Arsenal an offer for him if the arrangement works out to the satisfaction of both parties.
Clubs throughout Europe were interested in taking the Norwegian international on loan, but Arsenal won the race after Mikel Arteta was able to guarantee him plenty of game time.
However, it is unrealistic to expect him to walk straight into the first team. He may need to acclimatise to the Premier League and content himself with appearances from the bench initially before he is up to speed.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.