Slutsky: Odegaard is ready for Real Madrid, mentally he is almost like a robot

Martin Odegaard's loan deal with Real Sociedad comes to an end in 2021, yet his former coach at Vitesse, Leonid Slutsky, has made it clear that the 21-year-old midfielder is well prepared to make the leap into Real Madrid's starting line-up.

The Russian, and current Rubin Kazan coach, believes that his former player could feature in an elite club in the world.

"I am sure that Martin [Odegaard] is ready to play for Real Madrid today," Slutsky told EFE.

"He is already a top level footballer. He is capable of fighting for a place in any team in the world.

"If Madrid give him the opportunity, Martin will end up playing."

Slutsky is confident that the Norway international will have no problem adapting to Zinedine Zidane's side.

"When I saw how he played at the [Estadio] Santiago Bernabeu, I was absolutely convinced that he has the individual quality to play for Madrid," Slutsky added.

"The system will not be a problem for him. He can play as No.10 or on the wing, if possible on the right.

"It does not matter if it is a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-3.

"Looking for a defect, ideally he should be faster. He lacks a bit of initial speed, he is not like [Kylian] Mbappe."

Apart from Odegaard's footballing skills, Slutsky hailed the midfielder's attitude.

"He is very strong mentally," Slutsky noted. "He has great self-confidence and can play consistently for a long time.

"He takes care of himself, eats properly and is hyper professional. Almost like a robot.

"Martin has one of the highest levels of professionalism I've ever seen."