Martin Odegaard with a specially delivered copy of his favourite Islington newspaper on Friday morning [Arsenal FC / Getty]

MARTIN Odegaard rushed out to pick up his copy of the Islington Tribune on Friday to check out the breaking news – and it’s official: the Arsenal captain is staying “where he belongs”.

The Gunners made an announcement on Friday confirming that the midfielder is putting pen to paper on a new long-term contract at the club.

It capped a great week for the 24-year-old after leading Arsenal’s return to the Champions League and scoring in an impressive 4-0 win over Dutch team PSV Eindhoven. The Emirates was at last rocking to the Champions League theme once more – and the roar of the crowd.

In an appreciative note to supporters published in Friday’s issue, Odegaard signed his name on a message explaining his elation at making “the whole of Islington come alive” every time he hits the back of the net.

[Arsenal FC / Getty]

The Norwegian has established himself as a key component in Arsenal’s surging progress and the club’s near miss in last season’s title race.

He had originally arrived from Spanish giants Real Madrid on loan in 2021, where he had struggled to secure a first team place.

In north London, however, he has said he quickly felt at home and part of the Arsenal family. Always a prodigious talent as a teenager, he is now showing why so many clubs had been interested in him as a youth player.

By last summer, Odegaard had become Arsenal’s club captain, and has bucked the “curse of the armband” which saw some high profile previous captains leave the club.

[Arsenal FC / Getty]

The new deal means that’s not going to happen with the goalscoring midfielder – with more details on how long he will be extending his stay in north London due to be revealed later. It’s a move which will feel as important as bringing in a new signing to Mikel Arteta and the club’s leadership, who have been working on new contracts for several of the young stars who lit up last season’s championship challenge.

Odegaard has relished life as the club captain and told the BBC last year: “I feel like I’ve finally settled down a little bit. There was a lot of things going on when I was younger, I was moving around a lot on loans here and there.”

He added: “I had a lot of attention from a young age but I feel like now I’ve finally settled down, I’ve found my club, and I feel great here, so I’m very happy.”