Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Martin Odegaard, Lionel Messi, Top Rumours

Real Madrid are reportedly just days away from signing exciting Norwegian prospect Martin Odegaard, beating out a whole host of top European clubs in the process.

According to Marca, the 16-year-old Stromsgodset midfielder is "about to join Los Blancos" and is supposedly set to sign a professional contract which will keep him at the Bernabeu for six years.

Odegaard only turned 16 in December but he is already so highly rated that he has been courted by many of Europe's biggest clubs, training at Real as well as with Bayern Munich and Liverpool and drawing interest from Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal, per the Daily Mail's Thomas Jacobs.

He was previously tipped to be joining the German champions, per ESPN FC's Stephan Uersfeld, but Marca's report indicates that Real's offer of a club position to Odegaard's father and agent, Hans Erik, tipped the decision in Los Blancos' favour.

The Norwegian international has already been given the seal of approval by his potential new teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, per AS, but Carlo Ancelotti will need to ease Odegaard in at Real and he is unlikely to break into the first team for some time yet considering his youth:

One player who would have no trouble getting into the Real first team—or any side for that matter—is Lionel Messi, and Ancelotti recently admitted he would love to see the Barcelona man in the same team as his talisman, Ronaldo, per Dermot Corrigan on ESPN FC:

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Although you must bear in mind that Cristiano is the emblem of Real Madrid, and Messi of Barcelona. Each one has their own team and their own history, but to have both in the same team would be a great thing for us. It is, however, difficult to think it is going to change.

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A move for Messi from the Camp Nou to the Bernabeu is highly unlikely despite the Argentinian superstar's recent suggestions that he may yet depart Barcelona, per The Independent (h/t BBC Radio 4's Nick Sutton):

As Corrigan notes, "Madrid are one of the few clubs in world football rich enough to consider a move for a player with a 250 million-euro release clause, and salary demands of 20 million euros-plus per annum." 

But, despite recent rumour and speculation, Messi's departure seems highly unlikely and especially not to Barca's fiercest rivals Real, although it is not only Ancelotti who would like to see the superlative pair on the same team.

Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images

Ronaldo beat Messi to the 2014 Ballon d'Or on Monday but the duo continue to be the gold standard in world football and a team with both of them in would be all but unstoppable.

It is difficult to see where the next player to rival Messi and Ronaldo will come from but, of the newer generation, Juventus' 21-year-old midfielder Paul Pogba is showing signs of being a future world-beater.

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

Unsurprisingly, therefore, Real are being heavily linked with the France international, with Tuttosport (h/t AS) labelling him as Madrid's primary transfer target for the summer.

Certainly Pogba has recently indicated a future intention to leave the Serie A champions in search of further titles elsewhere, with his agent Mino Raiola admitting his client will not stay at Juve for much longer, per AS:

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He will not stay in Italy much longer. It all depends on Juventus’ honesty. We just signed a new agreement and we are happy, but if the time to leave comes we will not let it pass.

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Pogba's current contract with Juventus runs until 2019 but history suggests that, if Real truly want to sign him, they will stump up the cash to persuade the Italian club to let him go, and B/R UK's Matteo Bonetti suggests they may look to cash in on their star man:

He is undoubtedly one of the finest prospects in world football and would bring even further quality to the core of an already stunning Real side.

Los Blancos will have to pay an astronomical transfer fee to claim Pogba's services but, considering his youth and incredible potential, he could well be a Real star for many years to come.