Martin Odegaard has told friends that he is interested in staying at Arsenal but he won’t force through a move to the Emirates if the Gunners can’t come up with the money to sign him, according to Football.London.

The website claims the ball is very much in Arsenal’s court in terms of whether they snap up the Norwegian international on a permanent basis in the summer.

The Gunners have no option to buy Odegaard when his loan spell ends in June and it was reported at the weekend that his parent club Real Madrid could demand £50m for the 22-year-old, with the likes of Paris Saint-Germain Chelsea and Liverpool also interested in the player.

It is a steep asking price, which Arsenal may not be able to pay, so it is believed that the London club are exploring the possibility of a second season-long loan. Whether such a deal will interest Real, we shall see.