Arsenal reportedly plan to reject any summer bids for captain Martin Odegaard as they line up a new contract for the Norwegian playmaker.
The 24-year-old shone in his first full season as Gunners captain during the 2022-23 campaign, having been given the armband on a permanent basis following the exit of Alexandre Lacazette last year.
Odegaard finished the season as Arsenal's joint-top scorer alongside Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli, scoring 15 goals in the Premier League while also setting up eight more.
In the wake of his stellar season, which also saw him win the Men's Player of the Year prize at the London Football Awards, Odegaard is thought to be in line for a new-and-improved deal at the Emirates.
The Norway captain's current Arsenal terms only have another two years left to run with an option until 2026, and Paris Saint-Germain are thought to be considering a swoop for his services in the summer transfer window.
© Reuters
However, the Evening Standard reports that Odegaard is not for sale under any circumstances this summer, and the Gunners are preparing to open contract talks with their captain imminently.
The report adds that the former Real Madrid man is settled in North London, and he is even staying in the UK for the first part of his summer break before returning to Norway to visit his family.
Furthermore, Odegaard is said to enjoy an "excellent" relationship with manager Mikel Arteta, and the 24-year-old is keen to continue in red and white following their unsuccessful title charge in the 2022-23 season.
Odegaard initially joined Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid for the second half of the 2020-21 season, scoring twice and setting up two more goals in 20 appearances, and his form convinced the Gunners to sign him permanently for £30.1m that same summer.
The playmaker only made 11 senior appearances for Real Madrid, who he memorably joined as a 16-year-old in 2015, but he has contributed 24 goals and 15 assists in 105 games for Arsenal over the past two and a half years.
© Reuters
With Odegaard donning the armband, Arsenal finished the 2022-23 Premier League season in second place with 84 points, their highest total since the 2003-04 title-winning Invincibles.
As Arteta's side prepare for a return to the Champions League, sporting director Edu and his team have been busy agreeing new contracts with a number of Arsenal's young stars, with Saka and Martinelli committing their futures to the club earlier this year.
Aaron Ramsdale and Gabriel Magalhaes have also put pen to paper on fresh terms, and the Gunners remain in talks with French centre-back William Saliba, whose deal expires in 2024.
However, Arsenal have apparently been left shocked by the wage demands of Saliba's representatives, and as a result there is yet to be a breakthrough in negotiations between the two parties.
Ben Knapton
