Arsenal have put a new contract in front of their captain, and nothing has come back. In the background, Bayern Munich have never stopped talking to him.
The report, from Sky Sport Germany and picked up across European media on Thursday, says Martin Odegaard can envision a move to the Allianz Arena at some point in the future. Bayern and the Norwegian’s representatives have been in contact repeatedly over the past few years.
The 27-year-old’s current deal at the Emirates runs until the summer of 2028. Arsenal are keen to extend it well beyond that date to avoid their captain entering the final year of his contract and the risk of a free transfer in 2028. According to Tribuna, citing the same Sky Sport Germany reporting, an offer has already been placed on the table, and Odegaard has not yet given his answer.
Sell next summer or risk a free departure
If the two sides fail to agree, the fallback is unsentimental. Arsenal would consider cashing in in the summer of 2027 rather than letting the final year run down. A sitting captain, Mikel Arteta’s chief creator and a player regarded as one of the best midfielders in Europe would command a significant fee if put on the market.
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Several top European clubs are said to be monitoring the situation. Bayern are only one of the names in the room.
Bayern not pushing, for now
The German champions’ interest is real, but it is not urgent. Sky Sport Germany reports that Odegaard is not on Vincent Kompany’s shortlist of priority targets, with the Bayern midfield already stocked by Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic, Tom Bischof, Jamal Musiala and the recent additions higher up the pitch. In other words, the dialogue has stayed open mostly because Odegaard himself has not shut it.
He was at the Allianz Arena eight days ago
The timing adds a layer. Odegaard was at the Allianz Arena on 22 October for Arsenal’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Bayern, setting up Eberechi Eze’s opener with a lofted ball from deep inside his own half that cut the Bayern back line in two.
Asked about the result afterwards, he struck a measured tone.
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“Yeah, probably a fair result to be honest, but I feel like we could have won the game as well,” he told reporters.
Arteta himself has just committed to a new contract through 2030, making the squad around him the live question. Arsenal’s next move is to turn the offer already in front of Odegaard into a signature; if it is not signed, the club’s decision point arrives in the 2027 summer window.
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