Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard breaks silence over his future amid contract speculation at Emirates 

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard recently admitted he hopes he can play for the Gunners for a long time amid rumors over a possible contract extension in the near future.

Odegaard has established himself as one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League since joining Arsenal in the summer of 2021. The 24-year-old quickly became renowned for his creativity, vision, and range of passing and was appointed club captain prior to the 2022-23 season.

The Norway international led from the front, helping the Gunners challenge for the Premier League title last season. He has made 110 appearances across all competitions for the north London club so far, scoring 26 goals and providing 15 assists.

The club hierarchy are reportedly desperate to extend Odegaard's contract, which ends in the summer of 2025. As per the Daily Mirror, Mikel Arteta has earmarked the Norwegian to earn a contract extension to secure his long-term future at the club.

Martin Odegaard spoke to Norwegian news outlet Nettavisen on the matter and said:

"I don’t have much to say, apart from the fact that I am very happy at Arsenal and I hope I can be there for a long time. Beyond that, I have no comment right now. Now, it is the national team that is in focus."

The likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Gabriel Martinelli have all signed long-term contracts with the Gunners over the last few months. It's likely only a matter of time before Odegaard joins the list as well.

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Fabrizio Romano reveals the effort Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta put in to sign Declan Rice

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently revealed the efforts Mikel Arteta put in to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United this summer. The 24-year-old joined the Gunners on July 15 in a deal worth £105 million, making him the most expensive English player of all time.

Rice impressed while plying his trade for the Hammers last season and guided them to the UEFA Europa Conference League title. Both Arsenal and Manchester City were reportedly interested in signing him, but the former had the upper hand due to Arteta already being in talks with the England international.

In his column for CaughtOffside, Romano wrote (via Just Arsenal):

"Declan Rice has been speaking in glowing terms about Mikel Arteta as he discussed the manager’s importance in convincing him to join Arsenal this summer. For sure, he was absolutely crucial, and I understand that what Rice has said publicly is the reality – Arteta started pushing to have Rice at the club already in January."

Romano added:

“Of course, to sign Rice was impossible in January, but Arteta has wanted him since January and he was pushing in internal discussions since then, and also had important discussions with the player."

"With Rice, he gave a detailed picture of the tactics and how he would fit into the squad, but also about the leadership.”

Rice has had a good start to his tenure at the Emirates, scoring one goal in five appearances so far.