Why Another Season at Real Sociedad Will Benefit Martin Ødegaard

The last time fans saw Norwegian midfielder Martin Ødegaard in a Real Madrid shirt was November 11, 2016 - a Copa del Rey clash with Cultural Leonesa.

It was by no means a poor performance from the then 18-year-old, but it was clear he wasn't ready. This was the same kid who was signed as a 15-year-old and was supposed to have won a bazillion Ballons d'Or already. Frustrations were high on both sides, and a decision was made to loan him out.

Two and a half seasons in the Eredivisie followed, before Ødegaard returned to Spain with Real Sociedad last season. It was a fantastic year for the Norwegian, who showed Real what they were missing by netting the opening goal of Sociedad's Copa del Rey triumph over his parent side, and now there are plenty of fans who want to see Ødegaard back in the white shirt of Real.

However, his loan stay in San Sebastián was initially supposed to be a two-year loan, and everybody involved would benefit if Ødegaard stayed and saw that out.

It's hard to believe it, but Ødegaard is just 21 years old. 21. It feels like he's been around since the dawn of time itself, but no, he's still just 21. At that age, the most important things are stability and regular minutes.

At La Real, Ødegaard is a regular starter who was afforded close to 3,000 minutes last season. That's perfect. That's absolutely perfect. Players that age need somewhere to offer them exactly that, and Real have a nasty habit of failing to do that.

Just look at Brahim Díaz, a 21-year-old £15m signing from Manchester City in 2019. This past year, he managed 206 minutes in all competitions, not even playing academy football after finding himself stuck in the dreaded purgatory between youth and senior level which has swallowed many a career in the past.

Granted, Ødegaard boasts a greater reputation and commands more minutes, but with Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, Fede Valverde and Isco all battling for two central midfield spots ahead of Casemiro in Zinedine Zidane's 4-3-3 system, bringing the Norway international back is a risk which neither Real nor Ødegaard should take.

He could be played out of position, having proven to be a capable winger in the past, but what's the point in bringing him back for that? His future is in a central attacking midfield role - the heir to Modrić's throne - so that's where he should be playing at this point in his career.

La Real can give him that, but perhaps the best thing they can offer Ødegaard is a spot away from the lights of the Santiago Bernabéu for another year.

It feels as though Ødegaard has already failed his first audition at Real. Sure, he was still a teenager, but underwhelming performances and alleged attitude issues quickly forced Ødegaard to look for temporary shelter in the Eredivisie.

Now playing away from the Bernabéu and away from fans who have been expecting the world from you for six years now, Ødegaard is under less pressure to perform and can instead grow at his own pace.

That liberation helped Ødegaard blossom into one of La Liga's top creative midfielders, but he's by no means the finished article. He still needs time to perfect his game, and he'll get that in Sociedad when he plays in front of a crowd who have already fallen in love with him, rather than supporters who demand perfection right now.

Next summer, Modrić will be approaching 35 years old and will have hit the end of his current contract. It could well be time to move the legendary Croatian on, and that's when Ødegaard will be ready to step in.

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