Real Sociedad President Confirms Intention to Keep Martin Odegaard for Second Season

Martin Odegaard is set to spend another season away from Real Madrid, with Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay insisting that the club hope to hold on to their loanee for the second year of his deal.

The Norwegian midfielder has spent the last campaign on loan with the Basque side and has burst out as one of La Liga's best midfielders, raising questions whether los Merengues will look to bring him back from his two-year deal 12 months early.

But Sociedad chief Aperribay reiterated on Radio Euskadi that the club possess the option to extend Odegaard's stay for another season, and that he is hopeful that the 21-year-old will reject the chance of a possible Bernabeu return.

"I think Odegaard is going to stay at Real. It is what I believe and the hope we have. When you stay at Real, if you stay, you have to be convinced, like when he came last year. Convinced that it is the best option for next season. The decision is up to him and I think he will stay."

Odegaard joined Madrid as a 16-year-old in 2015, and plenty was expected of the boy tipped to be the next global superstar. But it took the Norway international several years to find his feet in professional football, and he has been loaned out by los Blancos since 2017 to gain some much-needed experience.

It is at Sociedad that the midfielder has blossomed, scoring seven goals and assisting eight over the course of the 2019/20 campaign. He also led his current side to within one game of Copa del Rey glory, setting up a mouthwatering final between La Real and bitter rivals Athletic Club.

Odegaard is a brilliantly creative and inventive player, and his dazzling displays may have convinced Zinedine Zidane and co. that he is ready for the big stage.

The starlet will be cautious over the possibility of missing out on valuable game time at Santiago Bernabeu at such an important stage of his development, and he may opt to perfect his trade at Anoeta for another season.