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Both captain Martin Ødegaard and Ben White are set to commit their immediate futures at the club by signing new contracts at Arsenal.
Ødegaard was signed from Real Madrid initially on loan, before the deal was made permanent, and has realised the potential in a Gunners’ shirt that he showed when the Spanish club plucked him from Norwegian football when he was just 15 years old.
He still has almost two years left on his current deal, but both club and player want to extend that as a matter of priority.
Arsenal paid Brighton £50 million for White in 2021, and, although he was signed initially as a centre-back, he has since developed into a highly effective right back, linking up on that side of the pitch with Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka.
There is no immediate urgency on White – he still is under contract until 2026. However, there is a recognition that his contribution to the team should be rewarded with improved terms.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.