Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane may have provided a hint over Martin Odegaard's future.
Odegaard has been linked with a loan exit from the Santiago Bernabeu this month after reportedly requesting a departure having been used sparingly in La Liga despite impressing for Real Sociedad on loan last season.
It's now understood he could leave again on loan in a bid to get more first-team football and Arsenal are reportedly interested, already making an approach, according to Sky Sports, as they look to narrow down their search for a creative midfielder.
Meanwhile, Real Sociedad are said to be interested in taking him back on loan for the end of the season - and are favourites to do so - and an unnamed Premier League club are also said to be in the hunt.
Amid all that interest, we might have got the strongest hint yet that Odegaard could be about to depart on loan with the Norwegian left out of Real Madrid's squad for their Copa del Rey Round of 32 clash with Alcoyano on Wednesday night.
While he hasn't played regularly, Odegaard has often featured on the bench under Zidane this season, but despite Los Blancos rotating somewhat for the cup clash, Odegaard was left out of the starting XI and indeed the whole squad.
Though, the Norwegian may have had the last laugh with Real Madrid suffering a shock defeat to the third-tier side after extra-time despite Alcoyano going down to 10 men five minutes before the winner and 10 minutes before full-time in extra time.
The result has sent ripples around Spanish football and leaves a very open competition with Real Madrid and La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid out of the competition ahead of the Round of 16, while Barcelona play tonight.
The result is unsurprisingly dominating the headlines in the Spanish media, but talk of Odegaard's future is also being discussed after this latest omission and Zidane is yet to cite an injury or any other reason for the midfielder's absence.
Now might be the time for Arsenal to strike, if they haven't already.
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