Celtic target loan deal for Real Madrid starlet Martin Odegaard - report

The Norwegian teenager is one of the most highly-rated youngsters in the world, but Real Madrid are said to be open to loaning the youngster out for some playing time with Rafael Benitez arriving as coach of Los Blancos.

Odegaard is not expected to spend another season with Madrid Castilla and instead will be loaned out for first-team experience, with a host of Spanish clubs - including Real Betis and Villarreal - leading the chase to benefit from his development.

But Scottish champions Celtic are apparently also keen to bring the player in on loan with Odegaard linked to a loan move to the Glasgow club who tried to sign him before Madrid landed him last summer, according to the Evening Times newspaper in Glasgow.

The 16-year-old player, reportedly on as much as £80,000-per-week, had struggled to make an impression for Castilla, Real Madrid’s B-team, following his much-publicised move from Stromsgodset.

Reports emerged in April that Zinedine Zidane had dropped him and AS refused to give him a rating after a poor performance against Tudelano.

It would certainly make sense for Odegaard's development to remain in Spain at one of Madrid's Liga rivals like Real Betis or Villarreal, but Celtic should not be discounted in their attempts to bring the player to Scotland for a season. Celtic coach Ronny Deila knows the player and his family personally from his time managing Stromsgodset in Norway. Before Odegaard made the decision to join Madrid, his dad felt it necessary to phone Deila to tell his fellow Norwegian that he was joining the Spanish side.

Deila was the man who provided the player with the platform and skill set to join Madrid. It might sound unlikely, but it would be far from ridiculous to see Odegaard spending a season in Glasgow where he would also be exposed to European football and perhaps the Champions League. Of course, the final decision will come down to whether or not Madrid want him playing in Scotland. That might well be the main hurdle to any such loan deal coming to fruition.