Arsenal’s captain has given his first answer on the contract talk that has followed his flying start, and it is a mix of reassurance and a small surprise: nothing has been discussed yet.
Martin Odegaard is away with Norway during the international break, and he was asked about his future while the speculation keeps building. His current deal runs until the summer of 2028, which leaves just over 18 months to go.
According to Sky Sports in Germany, Arsenal had already opened talks with the 27-year-old over an extension. There have also been claims that Bayern Munich are following his situation closely. Odegaard has now made it clear that neither story quite tells the full picture.
Has Martin Odegaard started contract talks with Arsenal?
No, not yet. Speaking to TV 2 in Oslo, the Norwegian said the subject had barely come up, and that his focus is on the pitch for now.
Odegaard said: “We haven’t talked that much about it. First and foremost, the focus now is on what happens on the pitch, and everyone knows the situation. I’m happy and hope I can be there for a long time to come, but so far we haven’t started on that.”
Asked whether he would like the matter settled now, he sounded anything but worried: “There’s no stress about it. I am where I am, and I’m super happy with that. Things are going well, and it’s not something I’m stressing about. As I said, I want to be there for a long time to come. I’m really enjoying myself.”
So the reports of talks being under way look premature, and there is nothing in his words to suggest Bayern have turned his head. If anything, the message is the opposite: a player who is settled, happy and in no rush.
Why the timing makes sense for Odegaard
It is easy to be relaxed when you are playing like this. Odegaard has already scored three Premier League goals this season, three times as many as the single league goal he managed in the whole of last season. The latest was the winner in the 1-0 win over Hull City on 8 November, which we looked at in our piece on Odegaard’s return to form against Hull.
He puts the difference down to his body finally working with him. “Last year I struggled a lot, struggled with many injuries and struggled to find my rhythm,” he said. “Now I’ve got my body in order. It’s lovely to feel that it works.”
A slightly different job under Arteta
There is a tactical side to it as well. The skipper is turning up around the opposition box far more often this season, though he insists he has not abandoned the build-up.
“That’s where I want to be, but I’m still quite involved in the build-up play,” he explained. “I think it’s a combination of many things. We maybe vary a bit more depending on the opponent we face, and can make adjustments based on that.”
That matters because the competition for places in that area is fierce. Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino have both pushed for minutes in the No 8 role, and Merino admitted this week that the strength of Arsenal’s squad is exactly why he cannot get a game. Odegaard has held them off by playing in every one of Arsenal’s ten league matches so far.
Should Arsenal hurry a new Odegaard contract?
Not necessarily, and Odegaard’s own tone tells you why. A captain who says “I want to be there for a long time to come” twice in one interview is not a player angling for a move, and Arsenal are under no pressure with the deal running to 2028.
But the clock does start to matter next summer, when he will be down to two years. The smart move is to sort it while he is happy and in form, rather than in a year’s time when the Bayern noise could be louder and the leverage has shifted. With Kai Havertz’s next contract also on the table, Arsenal have a wage structure to protect, but their captain looks like the easiest renewal in the building.
For now, Gooners can relax. There is no deal yet, but there is no sign of Odegaard going anywhere either.
