Sporting chief who helped kickstart Martin Odegaard’s career in ‘advanced Arsenal talks’

Roberto Olabe could be set for a reunion with Martin Odegaard at Arsenal next summer. Olabe, who has confirmed he will step down as Real Sociedad's sporting director next summer, is credited with being a pivotal figure in Odegaard's development during his time at the Spanish club, before the Norwegian's £30million transfer to Arsenal in 2021.

Now, it is reported that discussions are progressing regarding Olabe joining forces with Odegaard once again at the Emirates Stadium next year. Italian football expert Gianluca Di Marzio revealed to MyBettingSites back in November that Arsenal could be entering a "new era" under Olabe's guidance following the announcement of current sporting director Edu's exit from the club in the summer.

Di Marzio said: "It's already well known that Roberto Olabe will leave Real Sociedad and I have been told that he is in advanced talks with Arsenal to replace Edu, so I think he could start a new era at Arsenal." According to Foot Mercato, Olabe seems to favour a move to the Gunners over other European outfits when considering his options, with the 57-year-old Spaniard reportedly prioritising Arsenal after encouraging discussions.

Olabe has worked previously with Arsenal's star player, Odegaard, who had a successful spell on loan at Sociedad where he lifted the Copa del Rey in 2019. Reflecting on the midfielders qualities in an interview with the Daily Star last year, Olabe had nothing but high praise for the current Arsenal captain.

He said: "Martin perfectly understood the game. That was his most important attribute. It was his interpretation of the game and what was happening around him at every single moment. His capacity to interpret the game was and is higher than the individual qualities.

"Because he thinks quickly, he is able to adapt and get one step ahead of opponents that people think are physically quicker. It wasn't just one specific quality like control, receptions, last pass, shooting or set-pieces. His box of attributes was already full, complete."

Olabe also admired Odegaard's professional attitude, as he said: "He had extraordinary values in a professional sense. He was serious about hard work, being a team player and he had the right mentality to continually improve.