According to the report, Ödegaard and German record champions Bayern Munich have been in contact repeatedly over the years. A move never materialised. As early as 2014, the then 15-year-old prodigy reportedly took part in several trial training sessions with Bayern Munich's first team. Pep Guardiola was in charge at the time, but the central midfielder chose Real Madrid over Bayern Munich.
More than a decade later, Ödegaard is at Arsenal and ranks among the best players in his position. Rumours of a departure keep surfacing, and Arsenal's officials know it.
Bayern chance with Ödegaard? Arsenal reportedly determined to extend his contract early
Behind the scenes, the London club are reportedly working to extend the 27-year-old's contract beyond 2028. Arsenal want to stop their captain entering the final year of his deal. According to Sky , an initial informal discussion about an extension has already taken place.
If they fail to reach an agreement, the Gunners could consider a sale in the summer. The report says several top European clubs have already made enquiries. Arsenal want to keep their key player, but a possible departure is under discussion.
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For Bayern Munich, meanwhile, central midfield is not an urgent concern. Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Tom Bischof, Jamal Musiala, Ismael Saibari and Lennart Karl leave the Munich club particularly well equipped in that position. Signing Ödegaard is not a priority. The player, for his part, could "well" imagine a move to Munich in the future.
Ödegaard first joined Arsenal on loan in 2021 before the London club signed him permanently for around €35 million. He quickly became a key player under manager Mikel Arteta and eventually took over as captain. Last season, he led Arsenal to their first Premier League title since the legendary "Invincibles" season of 2003/04. To date, Ödegaard has scored 46 goals and provided 47 assists in 248 competitive appearances for Arsenal.