Arsenal are reportedly set to inform Paris Saint-Germain that Martin Odegaard is not for sale should they make an offer for the captain this summer.
The Norwegian was outstanding last campaign, scoring 15 goals and laying seven assists during a season that saw Arsenal mount a surprising challenge to Manchester City’s dominance.
Odegaard has a solid relationship with Mikel Arteta and remains a vital part of the manager’s plan to bring major silverware back to the Emirates.
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PSG are keen on the midfielder, but Arsenal reportedly see Odegaard as unsellable and plan to open contract talks with him in the future.
Arsenal have secured the futures of Bukayo Saka, Martinelli, Ramsdale and Gabriel Magalhaes and hope to make a breakthrough in negotiations with Saliba.
Odegaard, meanwhile, revealed that he remains committed to Arsenal despite their collapse at the end of the campaign which handed the title to Manchester City.
Speaking ahead of last the 5-0 victory over Wolves, he said: ‘With the position we’ve been in all season, we’re not happy with second place. Even though it’s a good achievement and probably everyone would have taken it before the season, we wanted to win it when we got into that position. It’s a good sign that we are disappointed, and I think we should be. But also we have done some great things this season and taken some big steps in the right direction.
‘Last season we had a difficult end when we dropped out of the Champions League. But we used that anger and came back stronger this year, and we need to do the same thing again. We could have won the league, so let’s use this disappointment in a good way, learn from it and make sure it doesn’t happen the same next season.
‘This was my first season as captain and I think I’ve grown a lot. I’ve learned to take more responsibility and with the goals I’ve scored too, it’s been good for me. As my first season as captain here I think it’s been OK, but I feel like I can do a lot better too. I’m going to work hard to get better and that’s my main aim now. I know I can still improve so much.
‘After today’s game first of all I’ll be getting a bit of rest, then next month I’ve got two important qualifiers with the Norway national team. We’ve got two home games, so I will join up there and hopefully it will be a good camp. Then after that, I’ll have two weeks off or something like that, so I will stay home in Norway and relax with family and friends. I’ll enjoy the Norwegian summer!’
