Arsenal target Martin Odegaard may have changed his mind about staying at Real Madrid this summer.
The Norwegian playmaker spent the second half of last season on loan with the Gunners, notching two goals and two assists in 20 matches for Mikel Arteta's side.
However, he appeared to have confirmed that he would be plying his trade at the Bernabeu next season in a heartfelt farewell to Arsenal just a few weeks ago.
"@Arsenal, Thank you so much for these 6 months", Odegaard told his Instagram followers.
"My time with the Arsenal family will always hold a special place in my heart."
He added: "I wanna [sic] thank everyone in and around the club for the way you made me feel like a part of the family since the first day.
"Special thanks to the fans, even without you guys at the stadium for the majority of the season, I felt you with me at all times.
"A huge thank you to the boss and his staff for everything I’ve learned during my stay. Thank you also to all my teammates for such a great time on and off the pitch. Will miss you all.
"Thank you, gunners family. Always in my heart."
Despite the apparent goodbye, there may be a twist in the tale. Spanish outlet MadridistaReal have now reported that Odegaard is reconsidering a return to the Emirates Stadium next season, with the player refusing to rule out departing the Bernabeu in the next few weeks.
The update comes after football.london reported on Monday evening that the Gunners and transfer chief Edu have not given up hope of signing the 22-year-old this summer. Mikel Arteta has previously made it no secret of his admiration for the diminutive playmaker.
The Spaniard said at the end of last season: "We have a very clear and strong opinion on what we would like to do.
"He is not our player. We will have discussions in the next few weeks. And respect first of all because he’s a Real Madrid player, and we will have those communications.
"We have tried to make everything that we could to get Martin performing for the team, which I think he’s done."
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