Countless numbers of Europe's top clubs were involved in the hunt for his signature, but at the end of the day, Martin Odegaard decided to take up a lucrative deal with Real Madrid.

In the event you have never heard of him, he is the Norwegian prodigy who made his club football debut with Stromgodset aged 15 and then became the youngest player to appear in a European Championship qualifier.

So young was he, that Odegaard needed his father's permission to be included in the latest Football Manager game.

According to ESPN, BBC and Sky Sports football contributor Kristan Heneage, there are shades of other great talents in his style of play, adding that Norway-based manager and ex-Premier League footballer Brian Deane regards him as the "real deal".  

"The reason he gets compared to Messi is because if you watch Messi, he has this almost sixth sense - spidey sense you could almost call it - of knowing when a tackle is coming and being able to avoid it - almost preparing for the situation before it occurs. Martin has that same talent within himself and it lets him escape from one or two or even three players," Heneage told Off The Ball.

He added that he does a vast amount of practice work off the field and has also been backed by his father throughout with positive reinforcement from a young age.

Indeed, commentators in his native Norway believe he is the best talent they have produced in over half a century. But could there be a danger that he could be hyped to a point that it becomes impossible to deliver on his vast potential?

"It's difficult to say that it's a lot of money for a 16-year-old because he's not your average 16-year-old. He is a very special talent. Some people say he's arguably the best talent in Norway in 60 years. The superlatives at training are enormous. One of his team-mates, who his now a manager, called him a superhero. Equally, his personality matches his skill because he's so mature."