A type of article, in the style of ‘Overrated or Underrated?’, looking at whether there’s any truth in transfer rumours involving Scottish clubs.
John Callan (@JohnLCallan)
In a time where self-playing eight-second clips litter your Facebook and Twitter feeds, increasingly young teen sensations prone to bursts of neat trickery are going to get a lot of attention. It’s little surprise, therefore, how quickly Martin Ødegaard became a name familiar to most football fans, even prior to his move to hyper player vortex Real Madrid.
By extension, you can imagine the excitement when people began to realise the player destined to make all our lives bearable and take part in a World Cup Final consisting of nothing but a game of long bashers against Jack Harper had a connection with little old Scotland, through his benevolent former boss Ronnie Deila. Such links are priceless for transfer chatter (or, in Kilmarnock’s case this season, recruitment policy) and it’s easy to see how the story of a mooted loan move to Celtic Park came about. While I can’t know it’s completely baseless, it would be a straightforward fabrication to create.
It’s difficult to see why Real Madrid would loan him out to Celtic, with both the Premiership’s standard and style ill-fitting to prepare him for a career in La Liga. Although admittedly getting Ødegaard well-versed in the art of swatting aside domestic competitors with a tiny fraction of his side’s financial clout could prove useful. Either way, even a temporary move seems logically implausible.
As such, it seems to be a rumour with more bollocks than basis. Fun, novelty bollocks, but the former nonetheless.
Vote: Bollocks
Marc McArdle (@marcmcardle1)
Young Martin Ødegaard has the footballing world at his feet, and it’s doubtful whether Celtic figures anywhere in his plans for global domination.
Granted, there will always be a speculative link in view of Ronny Deila handing him his Strømsgodset debut little more than a year ago, but are we really suggesting that one of the most highly rated footballing talents on earth will ply his trade in Scotland this season?
Call me unimaginative, but I’m struggling to envision Martin Ødegaard, 2022 Ballon D’or winner, being presented with the award by Cristiano Ronaldo, then proceeding to credit his spell in Scotland for adding the ability to ‘get in aboot it’ to his game.
Aside from anything else, what state of mind would Rafa Benitez need to be in to consider sending a young, developing starlet on loan to a country where playing surfaces descend into an ankle-busting version of Total Wipeout from October to March?
This one belongs in the same place as that time Messi was supposedly signing on loan for Rangers before he was THE Messi, or when Ronaldinho was on his way to St Mirren.
Utter bollocks, but having seen the buzz created around Ødegaard, it’s at least reassuring to know that Deila has an eye for quality should it emerge at Celtic in the coming years.
Vote: Bollocks
Craig Fowler (@craigfowler86)
I dunno, I think there is something to this. I’m not saying it’s definitely going to happen. From what I can tell, Real would like the player to remain in the Castilla side for this season at least and progress in a Spanish football environment. But I don’t think it’s quite so ridiculous as some people are making out.
Regardless of what we think of the Scottish top flight, it is still a stronger level of football than the Spanish third tier, or at least I sure as hell hope so. And while they’ll want him to get used to the Spanish game, by the same token it wouldn’t hurt to let him try another style of football, broadening the horizons in his game. The British game, without trying to generalise too much, is more physical, and if he does develop into one of the best players in the world, this will be a side of football he has to embrace.
There’s also the chance of playing European football against some really tough sides. Real may have been more open to such a switch if Celtic made the Champions League group stages, but if the Hoops did take him on loan there’s greater opportunity for him to play in the Europa League. Deila would have been hesitant in trusting a 16-year-old for backs to the wall encounters with football’s elite, and he might be more accommodating if Celtic win themselves a favourable group.
What makes me doubt it is that Real will want the player, if he makes such a move, to be playing most weeks. Odegaard, for all the talent he may possess, is still only a young kid. He’s not going to play well every week. Therefore, there’s no guarantee he’ll be a nailed on starter. And from Celtic’s point of view, do they really want to take another team’s player on just so they can later say “I knew him when…”? There’s enough competition for places at the No.10 spot already with Stefan Johansen, Stuart Armstrong and Kris Commons. It’s not the area of the park that needs improved.
I really wanted to vote for ‘basis’ just to offer up some balance in this piece, but I appear to have talked myself out of it.
Vote: Bollocks
VERDICT: BOLLOCKS
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