Martin Odegaard has said he is still in contact with parent club Real Madrid and revealed they have congratulated him for his brilliant start to the season with Real Sociedad.
In an interview with Eurosport Norway, the young midfielder said that the La Liga giants have praised him on his performances, although he made it clear that he intends to finish his loan deal with Real Sociedad.
"I am in contact with Real Madrid, as sometimes they write to me to tell me how they see me," Odegaard said. "They have told me that they are happy with me."
Odegaard was only 16 when arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium from Stromsgodset in 2015. Before the deal with Madrid was sealed, however, several other clubs vied for signature, including Manchester City, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Liverpool.
He failed to settle in Real's Castilla side, though, or to establish himself in the first team. Before starting his tenure at La Real in July, the 20-year-old was sent out on loan to Dutch clubs Vitesse Arnhem and Heerenveen.
At the start of the 2019-20 La Liga campaign, Odegaard became the center of a newfound fame thanks to his impressive performances, scoring two goals and two assists in all eight matches.
Martin Ødegaard, September Player of the Month in #LaLigaSantander.
Congratulations, @martinio98! — LaLiga (@LaLigaEN) October 4, 2019
Considering he was incredibly young upon his arrival at Real, it's forgivable he didn't exactly live up to the expectations of football enthusiasts. However, the Norway international did make progress at Los Blancos eventually.
Previously, Odegaard said he knew he needed to leave Real Madrid this season for the good of his career but confirmed he still has ambitions of playing for the club in the future.
It seems so long ago when Odegaard, at the time a baby-faced 16-year-old with newfound fame and riches, subbed in for Cristiano Ronaldo. With that brief cameo in an otherwise forgettable drubbing of Getafe, he became the youngest debutant in Real Madrid history.
Odegaard is earning €2 million annually with Real Sociedad, but the Madrid club can recall him after just one season and pay the Basque €2m in compensation. But is it a good thing for the Meringues to recall him early, though?
Odegaard agreed to an extension of his Madrid contract before linking up with Sociedad, and his fresh terms tie him to the Blancos until the summer of 2023.
