Rennes rule out loan move for Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard
Wednesday 21 December 2016 13:35, UK
Rennes have ruled out a loan move for Real Madrid youngster Martin Odegaard, claiming he is not ready for first-team football.
The Norway international was reportedly linked to Rennes last summer and attended their game against Saint-Etienne in early December, leading to speculation he could join the Ligue 1 side in January.
But, having taken advice from Rennes manager Christian Gourcuff, the French club's president Rene Ruello has dismissed the prospect of signing Odegaard.
"Christian looked and said to us, 'Right now he's not ready, he needs to work,'" Ruello told the Pleine Lucarne show on TVR in France.
"If we have him for six months, he's not going to play, or very little, so there's no interest in doing it.
"If we have him for 18 months, we're going to get him up to speed and he'll leave after that. Rennes aren't here to bring through players for other clubs."
Odegaard, 18, joined Real Madrid in January 2015 but only made his first start for the club in November when he featured in the Copa del Rey.
His sole appearance for the first team in La Liga came as a second-half replacement in a 7-3 victory over Getafe in the final game of the 2014/15 season.
