Martin Odegaard returns to Real Madrid at the request of Zinedine Zidane

The kid who signed for Madrid at 16 is finally going to get his chance in the first team

Real Sociedad have confirmed that Martin Odegaard will be returning to Real Madrid for the upcoming 2020/21 season, having spent the past season on loan at the Basque club. “His goals, his football, his character, his effort and his humility have made Martin be remembered with immense affection by the entire Real Sociedad family," a club statement read. Odegaard joined Madrid way back in 2015 as a highly rated teenager with the world at his feet, and played in their reserve team for two years under current first team boss Zinedine Zidane before heading out on loan to Dutch side Heerenveen, then spent the following year at Vitesse before establishing himself in LaLiga at Sociedad. Zidane has reportedly requested that Odegaard be brought back to Madrid this summer, rather than spend another year on loan, as he looks to phase Luka Modric out of the team and gradually replace the Croatian with Odegaard. Madrid's ageing squad was exposed in the cruellest fashion as Manchester City dominated them in the return leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie last week. The midfield trio of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Modric that for so long has been so dependable was shown up by their more dynamic counterparts. With very little money to spend on new players this summer due to the pandemic and ongoing building works at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, Zidane has turned to the talented Norwegian to inject some much needed youth into the first team set up. https://twitter.com/RealSociedadEN/status/1293579245436850177