Ex-Arsenal fullback Nigel Winterburn believes his former club should go after Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish if they fail to snap up Martin Odegaard on a permanent deal.

The Norwegian is currently scheduled to return to Real Madrid after his loan spell ends this summer and if the Gunners can’t bring him back, Winterburn says they should target Grealish instead:

“I’d like to see Arsenal go ‘all in’ and sign Jack Grealish He is a terrific player. His ability speaks for itself and he’s the type of player that if we want to move forward then we should be looking to buy. He tends to prefer to play on the left-hand side so we’d need to see how that works with Arsenal’s current set up but I’m sure he could play in that Number 10 role as well.”

“Lots is up in the air with Arsenal, they’re not sure if [Martin] Odegaard will sign in the long term and that needs to be addressed beforehand. One thing is for sure, if Grealish does become available then a whole host of clubs will be in for him.”

It’s a very optimistic suggestion from Winterburn. Grealish will not exactly come cheap, with a number of reports claiming that Aston Villa would demand above £100m for the playmaker, with the 25-year-old having signed a new contract back in September.

You also have to consider the interest from other clubs. Manchester City and Manchester United are both believed to be keen on the England international so Arsenal won’t be the player’s only choice.

At the moment, most supporters are just hoping that the Gunners can make a deal happen for Odegaard so we shall see how things on that front develop.