Reports in England suggest West Ham United are keen to bring Real Madrid youngster Martin Odegaard to the Premier League.
The 17-year-old winger, who became Norway’s youngest debutant for the senior team against the United Arab Emirates in 2014 aged just 15 years and 253 days, has struggled to push on at the Santiago Bernabeu since arriving in a blaze of glory from Stromsgodset in January 2015, and a loan move might seem the likely option.
Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane admitted as much this week when he said Odegaard’s situation at the club is ‘complicated’ due to competition in the squad, and is aware he needs more minutes at a higher level than reserve team football.
West Ham are understood to be eager to wrap up a loan deal as soon as possible, given Los Blancos will find out later this week the result of their appeal against a FIFA sanction on transfers in the next two windows.
As a result, any possible embargo would mean players loaned out after notification of the ban would not be able to return to the Spanish giants until after the punishment has been served.
The ruling was originally handed out to Madrid, along with cross-city rivals Atletico, for breaching rules concerning the international transfer and registration of players aged under 18.
If it is upheld the two Madrid clubs will be prevented from signing new players until the beginning of January, 2018.
