Arsenal captain Martin Ødegaard has expressed his desire to remain at the Gunners for a “long time”. The 24-year-old completed a permanent move to north London from Real Madrid in August 2021 for a fee believed to be in the region of €35m and has since gone on to establish himself as one of the best players in the Premier League.
The playmaker has revealed how influential his meeting with Arteta was prior to joining the club ahead of his initial loan spell in January 2021.
Speaking in an interview with the Players Tribune, Ødegaard said:
“I spoke to Mikel Arteta on a Zoom call and he told me all about the project. At the time, Arsenal were not doing well. They were way down like 15th in the table, but that meeting!
“Honestly, I challenge anyone to come away from a meeting with Arteta and not believe everything he tells you. He is next level.
“It’s hard to explain. He’s passionate, he’s intense and sometimes, yeah he’s a bit crazy. But when he speaks, you understand that whatever he says will happen, will happen.
“I will say this, though, if there’s anyone left who still doesn’t fully believe in this team, take it from me: there are no limits on what we can achieve. No one can tell me otherwise. I’m so proud to be captain of this club and I feel like I’m going to be here a long time.”
Arsenal currently sit top of the Premier League table despite suffering only their second defeat of the season to Everton at the weekend.
The Toffees beat the league-leaders 1-0 at Goodison Park in Sean Dyche’s first game since being appointed as manager following the dismisal of Frank Lampard.
Meanwhile, Arteta’s side will be keen to get back into the win column as they host Brentford at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Mark Marston | Get Football
