Laura Woods has expressed her delight after it was claimed Arsenal are ready to offer Martin Odegaard a new contract that would keep him at the club until 2030.
The 24-year-old has been sensational this season, having grabbed 10 goals and scored seven assists in 27 Premier League appearances. The Gunners also sit eight points clear at the top of the table and Odegaard has been a massive part of Arsenal's success so far as they chase their first top-flight title in 19 years.
According to reports, the Gunners are set to reward Odegaard for his impressive performances with a bumper new seven-year contract. Odegaard, whose current deal expires in 2025, would be the first Arsenal player to be contracted until the 2030s as the Gunners continue to build for the future.
When announcing the news on talkSPORT, Woods said: "Arsenal are ready to offer Norway playmaker Martin Odegaard a new deal to keep him at the club until 2030. I'm very excited about this one.
"This is the thing about Arsenal, they have to make sure the best players re-sign and sign new deals and get them to commit their future to the club. There's no better time to do that than right now when everything is amazing. He's just so great and at the centre of everything. He's such a leader."
Odegaard struggled to impress during his initial six-month loan spell at the Gunners during the second-half of the 2020/21 season. However, Mikel Arteta saw enough from the former Real Madrid ace to sign him on a permanent deal for a fee in the region of £30million that summer.
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It was a decision that has ultimately paid off, as Odegaard was integral to their Champions League push last term, although he didn't grab as many goals or assists as he may have hoped. Odegaard was rewarded with the Men's Footballer of the Year at the London Football Awards earlier this month for his performances.
Rangers legend Ally McCoist added: "I just think he might be the most integral player to that team. I go on about the goalkeeper, who has been great, and the two centre-backs. For the first time in a long time he’s got two centre-backs he can rely on. Holding has come in and done very well.
"In the middle of the park you can argue Partey is as integral as any of them and Saka and the boys up front. But I just think Saka is the one who keeps things ticking and moving along nicely. I really think he’s a terrific footballer."
