‘He is so smart’ – Martin Odegaard reveals how Mikel Arteta made new Arsenal contract an easy decision
Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard has given fans an early present ahead of the north London derby by signing a new contract.
Fresh from his man of the match display against PSV in the Champions League, the 24-year-old has now committed his future to the Emirates until 2028.
4
4
And Odegaard, who was set to become a free agent in 2025, was full of praise for boss Mikel Arteta after penning his new long-term deal in north London.
Odegaard said, as quoted by : "This was such an easy decision for me because I’ve felt at home here since my very first day at Arsenal.
“The first time I spoke to Mikel Arteta, I knew he was a great coach and that I wanted to work with him.
“I was immediately convinced by all the things he said to me about what he wanted to do with the team, how he wanted to play, how he saw my qualities and how he saw me fitting into his system.
READ MORE ON ARSENAL
“He is so smart. He sees so many details you don’t even think about.
"He’s capable of making you understand football in a different way because the way he explains everything makes sense.
“And the fact that so many players have agreed new contracts just shows what we are doing as a club.
“People want to be here as part of the project because what we are doing is really special and with so many hungry young players, it’s a great place to be.”
Most read in Football
4
Speaking to , Arteta was equally as effusive about Odegaard, who he named as the club captain last summer.
He remarked: "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.”
Odegaard, who will lead out his team against rivals Tottenham on Sunday, has enjoyed a stunning start to the season.
He has chipped in with three goals in seven games in all competitions, while lifting his first piece of silverware with the club - the Community Shield - ahead of the new Premier League campaign.
4
The Norway skipper has dazzled fans since his temporary loan spell from Real Madrid was turned into a permanent stay in 2021 for £34million.
He has become the latest Arsenal star to sign a new deal after Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Reiss Nelson all extended their stay this summer.
talkSPORT football match centre
Keep up-to-date with all the latest Arsenal fixtures and results and live Premier League standings in our new match centre.
Topics