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<\/div>\nArsenal captain Martin Odegaard has signed a new five-year contract.<\/p>\n
The Norway midfielder, 24, has scored 27 goals and contributed 15 assists in 112 appearances for the Gunners.<\/p>\n
Odegaard joined the club from Real Madrid\u00a0permanently in August 2021\u00a0for about \u00a330m following an initial loan.<\/p>\n
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He featured in all but one of Arsenal\u2019s 38 Premier League games last season as Mikel Arteta\u2019s side finished runners-up to Manchester City and ended a six-year absence from the Champions League.<\/p>\n
\u201cSigning a new contract was a really easy decision for me for lots of reasons,\u201d Odegaard said.<\/p>\n
\u201cMainly what we are doing right now as a club is special, and I want to be a part of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really excited for what\u2019s to come here. I\u2019ve found a place where I can be really settled and call my home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Odegaard, who also captains Norway and has won 53 caps, has committed to Arsenal until the end of the 2027-28 season.<\/p>\n
He has scored three goals in seven games for Arsenal this season \u2013 including a fine strike on Wednesday as the club returned to Europe\u2019s elite club competition with a\u00a04-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven.<\/p>\n
Manager Arteta said: \u201cMartin signing a new long-term contract is such good news for everyone connected with Arsenal.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a manager, working with Martin the person and the player is an absolute joy, and it\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arsenal\u2019s reigning player of the season signed a four-year deal, with the option of an extra 12 months, two years ago following his move from Madrid.<\/p>\n
He joined the Spanish giants at the age of 16 from Norwegian club Stromsgodset in 2015, becoming Real\u2019s youngest player.<\/p>\n
That came after he became Norway\u2019s youngest international aged 15 years and 253 days when he played in a friendly\u00a0against the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n
Odegaard struggled to settle at the Bernabeu and had loan spells at Dutch clubs Heerenveen and Vitesse, and Spanish side Real Sociedad, before arriving in north London in January 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy story is a bit different maybe, as I moved around different clubs since I was 16,\u201d Odegaard said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Arsenal, since the first day, I\u2019ve felt great and this is definitely my home now.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to say thanks to everyone working at the club and of course, our fantastic supporters. I will continue to give everything to bring success to this club in the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arsenal sporting director Edu said: \u201cMartin is still only 24 years old, so there\u2019s still much more to come from him, and we\u2019re delighted that we will be together in the forthcoming years.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur aim is to keep our best players, and with Martin now also included, we\u2019re pleased to have completed new long-term contracts with a number of our most important young players in recent months.\u201d<\/p>\n
England forward Bukayo Saka agreed a new deal\u00a0to stay at Arsenal until 2027\u00a0in May, while defender\u00a0William Saliba, goalkeeper\u00a0Aaron Ramsdale\u00a0and midfielder\u00a0Reiss Nelson\u00a0are among those to also commit to long-term deals this year.<\/p>\n
In the summer, Arsenal bolstered their squad with the \u00a3105m signing of England midfielder\u00a0Declan Rice, the \u00a365m acquisition of Germany midfielder\u00a0Kai Havertz\u00a0and a season-long loan deal for Spain goalkeeper\u00a0David Raya.<\/p>\n
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