Arsenal club captain Martin Odegaard has outlined his hope to stay with the Gunners for a "long time", but has claimed talks over a new contract will likely begin after the summer. The Norwegian international has impressed since making the switch to north London, initially on a loan deal from Real Madrid.
The one-time wonderkid hadn't quite hit the heights yet, but after securing a permanent switch to Arsenal, he began to show his quality. In 105 appearances, the 24-year-old has 24 goals and 15 assists to his name, helping contribute to one of the most lethal frontlines last season.
Odegaard has helped stabilise the captaincy situation too, having had the armband move around several candidates over the past few years. His standards and level of leadership have backed up Mikel Arteta's judgement, who will be hopeful that they can both guide the side to further glory in the future.
One concern over that future may be his contract situation, with just two years remaining on his current deal at the club. Extension of key players has been on the agenda lately as Gabriel Martinelli, Aaron Ramsdale, Gabriel Magalhaes and Bukayo Saka have all committed their futures.
Two other names look set to join that list as football.london understands William Saliba has agreed a new contract, while Reiss Nelson is entering the final stages of discussions. With the pair set to extend their stays, attention can then turn to Odegaard and his future.
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The club captain seems calm over it though, having told TV2: "I'm very happy at Arsenal and I hope to stay here for long time. Let's see on contract situation after the summer. I didn't speak to Arsenal, it's not on me honestly; no rush, my contract is still long."
It remains to be seen when talks will open and whether a new deal can be struck, but it seems as though the focus may shift to incomings before addressing contract concerns.
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