According to reports, Arsenal will turn their attention to negotiating new contracts with two defenders after Martin Odegaard extended his deal.
It was confirmed on Friday morning that Odegaard has penned a new long-term contract which runs until 2028.
The Gunners captain has followed Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba in signing a longer deal with the Premier League giants.
Football Insider are now reporting Arsenal are ‘ready to secure the long-term future of defenders Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko’.
It is stated that Arsenal are ‘ready to agree two more marquee contract renewals’ to keep White (bought for £50m from Brighton) and Zinchenko (bought for £32m from Man City). The report adds.
‘Arteta’s side are keen for Zinchenko to follow in his captain’s footsteps by pledging his future to the club. They regard him as a key man and want to reward him as such with a long-term renewal.
‘White’s top form and versatility is also set to net him a bumper new deal in the coming months.’
“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,” said Odegaard.
“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.”
When asked about several key Arsenal players penning contract extensions, he added: “It just shows what we’re doing as a club. People want to be here as part of the project.
“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.
“Of course it’s a good thing. You see the players around you want to be a part of what we’re doing and it shows just how connected we are as a team.
“All the players want the same thing, they want to stay for a long time and really fight for the club and win things together. It shows the family feeling we have.”
