Arsenal is still interested in signing Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard this summer, with the Norwegian allegedly unhappy Madrid.
Last season, Odegaard was impressed during his loan time at Arsenal. Mikel Arteta hoped to extend the attacking midfielder's stay in London before returning to Madrid when his loan agreement expired.
However, Sky Sports reports that they haven't given up hope of signing Odegaard and are keeping a close eye on his status since he returned to Madrid to compete for a starting spot under Carlo Ancelotti.
Arsenal will be aiming to take advantage of worries over Odegaard's chances in the first team at Real Madrid. According to Spanish outlet Cadena SER, Norway's 22-year-old skipper is also uneasy in Madrid.
According to the source, Odegaard appeared 'disconnected' with his teammates during pre-season and isn't happy in Madrid and is exploring his options, including a return to Arsenal. Arteta brought Odegaard in on loan for the second half of last season to bolster Arsenal's stuttering attack during a tumultuous campaign.
Odegaard had a great start to his time in north London, but an ankle injury cut short his stay before it was too late for him to affect the end of the season. In 20 appearances for the Gunners, the Norwegian scored twice and assisted twice, but his build-up play, work rate, and leadership also stood out.
While the Gunners are desperate to re-sign Odegaard, Leicester midfielder James Maddison is also on their radar.
However, a deal for Maddison appears to be very tough to complete at the moment, with Leicester demanding a hefty fee for their playmaker, who played in his side's friendly defeat to Wycombe on Wednesday night.
Last week, Sportsmail revealed that £50 million would not be enough to get Leicester to the table at this point. On the other hand, Arsenal would allow a marginal player – such as winger Reiss Nelson – to move the other way to sweeten the deal.
Another player available for transfer is Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who Leicester looked at in January.