Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has signed a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium.
The Norwegian playmaker is understood to have extended his stay until the summer of 2028 without an option for a further year, and he has reportedly become the club's highest-paid player in the process.
Odegaard becomes the seventh player to sign a new Arsenal contract over the past 12 months, following Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Aaron Ramsdale and Reiss Nelson in committing his future to the club.
"Signing a new contract was a really easy decision for me for lots of reasons. Mainly what we are doing right now as a club is special, and I want to be a part of that. I'm really excited for what's to come here. I've found a place where I can be really settled and call my home," Odegaard told arsenal.com.
"My story is a bit different maybe, as I moved around different clubs since I was 16. At Arsenal, since the first day, I've felt great and this is definitely my home now.
"I just want to say thanks to everyone working at the club and of course, our fantastic supporters. I will continue to give everything to bring success to this club in the years to come."
A place where Martin beløngs ❤️ pic.twitter.com/UUqnAQRPfF
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 22, 2023
Talks between Arsenal and Odegaard's representatives are believed to have started in May, after the former Real Madrid man captained the Gunners to a second-placed Premier League finish, scoring 15 goals along the way.
Negotiations progressed extremely quickly, and Odegaard snubbed growing interest from elsewhere to pen fresh terms in North London on September 1, having shown no desire whatsoever to end his time with the Gunners.
Manager Mikel Arteta hailed his skipper as a "role model" following confirmation of his new contract, adding: "Martin signing a new long-term contract is such good news for everyone connected with Arsenal.
"He is our captain and a hugely respected person at our club, who is a great role model and professional, bringing quality and maturity in everything he does. On the pitch, as everyone has seen, Martin is a young player of top quality who consistently contributes at a such a high level.
"As a manager, working with Martin the person and the player is an absolute joy, and it's great that after experiencing a number of clubs already in his career, he is now settled and really feels at home at Arsenal. We all look forward to continuing our journey with Martin in the years to come."
Arsenal initially signed Odegaard on a short-term loan from Real Madrid for the second half of the 2020-21 season, and having hit the ground running, his stay was made permanent for a modest £30m.
© Reuters
The former Stromsgodset starlet - whose previous deal was due to expire in 2025 - has now come up with 27 goals and 15 assists in 112 games for the Gunners, most recently scoring his side's fourth goal in Wednesday's 4-0 Champions League thumping of PSV Eindhoven.
Odegaard was crowned Arsenal's Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season, as well as earning a spot in the PFA Team of the Year and collecting one Premier League Player of the Month award.
"To agree and complete a new contract with Martin is such great news for us all. He is our captain, an experienced international and a player who gives us so much quality and joy every time he plays for us," sporting director Edu added.
"Martin is still only 24 years old, so there's still much more to come from him, and we're delighted that we will be together in the forthcoming years.
"Our aim is to keep our best players, and with Martin now also included, we're pleased to have completed new long-term contracts with a number of our most important young players in recent months."
Fresh from the announcement of his new contract, Odegaard will lead Arsenal out for Sunday's first North London derby of the season at home to Tottenham Hotspur.
