The former Hull City boss, who worked with the Norwegian youngster at Vitesse, believes the 21-year-old will thrive at Santiago Bernabeu
Martin Odegaard snubbed Liverpool and Ajax when linking up with Real Madrid, says Leonid Slutsky, with the Norwegian midfielder being tipped to make a breakthrough with the Blancos next season.
Having burst onto the scene as a precociously-gifted teenager, leading clubs across Europe set their sights on a player considered to be destined for the top.
Offers were put to Odegaard from Spain, England and the Netherlands, with a huge future call placed in the hands of a youngster who had his entire career ahead of him.
Real eventually won the race, but his potential is yet to be fully unlocked in the Spanish capital.
Much of Odegaard’s experience since 2015 has been picked up during a series of loan spells at Heerenveen, Vitesse and Real Sociedad.
It was during his time in Arnhem that the 21-year-old got to work with Slutsky, and the Russian tactician claims that the highly-rated talent could have been tied to Premier League or Eredivisie giants by that point.
He told EFE of Odegaard: “His time at Vitesse has been very important.
“He became one of the best players in the Eredivisie and had many offers in his pocket. Not only from Real Sociedad, but also from Liverpool and Ajax.
“It is an honour to have had a share in Martin’s growth as a footballer.”
Odegaard has taken in just two competitive appearances for Real since being snapped up from Stromsgodset, with the last of those – and his only start – coming back in November 2016.
While making his mark in a star-studded squad has proved difficult, Slutsky is confident that the ambitious playmaker will come good at Santiago Bernabeu after proving his worth in La Liga with Sociedad.
He added: “It was a big challenge for me to kind of resurrect his career.
“Martin, his agent and I reach an agreement quickly. He had to take a step forward because Vitesse were a stronger team than Heerenveen.
“It’s clear that Real Madrid will decide his future with him by the end of the season. Could he stay with Real Sociedad for another year? I don’t know.
“I’m sure that Odegaard is ready to play for Real Madrid now. When I saw him play for Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu I realised that he definitely has the quality to play for Real Madrid.”
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