Martin Odegaard has committed his future to Arsenal by signing a new five-year contract.

The Norway international was in the final 24 months of his last deal but put pen to paper on September 1 and is now secured until the summer of 2028. There is no option to extend.

Odegaard becomes Arsenal’s highest-paid player after a smooth and relatively short process, which saw talks begin in May and produce the outcome that all parties wanted.

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The 24-year-old playmaker was starting to generate interest from elsewhere — however no discussions were entertained because the only focus was prolonging his stay at Arsenal.

“It was an easy decision for me. As I said many times, I felt connected and I felt at home here since the first day,” he said upon the announcement on Friday.

“And also I was moving around a lot and struggling to really settle down, so I felt like I needed a place to come and settle down and to kind of find a home.

“That’s what I did here and I felt it from the first day, so it was easy for me to commit. I’m also excited for what we’re doing now and for the future, so I’m really happy.”

He is the latest key squad member retention following William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale and Gabriel Martinelli, with director Josh Kroenke a driving force in this negotiation.

“It just shows what we’re doing as a club. People want to be here as part of the project,” Odegaard added.

“What we’re doing is really special and the players see what the manager wants to do and how the club is progressing, the connection we now have with the fans.

“I think it’s a no-brainer for the players to be part of that. With so many hungry young players, it’s a great place to be.”

A place where Martin beløngs ❤️

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 22, 2023

It is a huge boost for Arsenal before their home game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Odegaard arrived from Real Madrid for €35million plus add-ons in August 2021 and was appointed to captain the side in July 2022.

He has 25 goals in 92 appearances since moving to the north London club permanently — Odegaard previously spent time on loan at the Emirates Stadium — and was named in the PFA team of the year for the 2022-23 season.

How significant is this for Arsenal?

Analysis by Arsenal correspondent Art De Roche

Martin Odegaard extending his stay at Arsenal is a major boost as it further solidifies the work done to secure the club’s best talent for the medium to long-term future.

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The club captain is the 10th first team player to sign a new deal since May 2022 and in doing so, shows he is ready to continue his journey in north London.

Still just 24, Odegaard has already spoken about finding a home in Arsenal after so many years being sent out on loan by Real Madrid. The midfielder has no doubt benefited from becoming more settled at Emirates Stadium, a sentiment that goes both ways as he has become integral to matters both on and off the pitch.

As for the short-term, Odegaard has carried his form from last season into this one, with three goals to his name in all competitions. He will remain a key figure as Arsenal look to improve further over the course of the season, but the importance of his new contract goes beyond what happens this year.

(Photo: Getty Images)