Martin Odegaard has been left out of Real Madrid’s cup squad to face minnows Alcoyano amid suggestions he wants to be allowed to leave on loan this month.
The news will put various Premier League clubs on alert and raise more questions about Zinedine Zidane’s ability to nuture the Spanish club’s younger players.
Odegaard has started just three games at Madrid all season after returning from a very successful loan season at Real Sociedad last year.
At this point last season Odegard had started 16 of Real Sociedad’s 18 matches and was a leading light in their early push for a Champions League spot.