Charles Watts says Arsenal will now be working on trying to get Martin Odegaard and Ben White tied up to new contracts after the news about Bukayo Saka.
Arsenal’s star boy and key figure going forward penned down a new long-term contract this week, to the delight of, not just his own fans, but transfer target Declan Rice also.
But Goal correspondent Watts says Arsenal will now ‘certainly’ be working on captain Martin Odegaard, whose current deal runs out in 2025, and versatile defender Ben White, who has a contract until 2026, as he told Arsenal news from the press box.
Both players have been paramount to Mikel Arteta’s side taking that next step this season, and for large parts, sitting at the top of the Premier League table.
They helped knock themselves out, in the end, but those same players will be back again in August ready to challenge Manchester City, but this time, getting over that all-important line.
But Watts, who is well versed in the goings-on at the Emirates, thinks more positive news could be headed the fans’ way following the Saka news.
“They will certainly be working on Ben White and Martin Odegaard as well now,” said Watts. “You will then have the core of this team which is so, so important, all committed and all long term.
“I think that says a lot about the way the players see how things are going at Arsenal.”
WHO IS ARSENAL’S MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER?
The names that spring to mind are Odegaard, Saka and the recently-injured William Saliba, who many think if he wasn’t out of action, then certain negative results for Arsenal would have been positive.
Either way, those three could probably argue the case of being Arsenal’s ‘most important player’ because they have proven to be their team’s most consistent performers.
Some would argue that the above title belongs to Saliba given what has happened without him in recent months. A player’s value shines brightest, not when he is playing, but he isn’t on the field.
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