Martin Odegaard signs new Arsenal contract
- Odegaard has inked a new long-term contract at the Emirates
- Club captain had interest from elsewhere but never humoured an exit
- Manager Mikel Arteta was keen for Odegaard to extend
By Tom Gott
Arsenal have confirmed captain Martin Odegaard has signed a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium.
The 24-year-old had entered the final two years of his previous contract and talks were opened in May over an extension, with a handful of clubs from across Europe keeping a close eye on the situation.
Odegaard, however, was only focused on extending with Arsenal and has now put pen to paper on a deal which is understood to run until 2028.
"Signing a new contract was a really easy decision for me for lots of reasons," Odegaard told club media. "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.
"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."
Manager Mikel Arteta added: "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."
On Odegaard's extension, sporting director Edu concluded: "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.
"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."
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