Arsenal face Bayern pressure!

Bayern Munich, which the number crunchers have named the world’s second best club after Arsenal, is doing its best to tempt the Norwegian captain over to the Alliance Arena.

Arsenal may soon have to make one of their most important decisions in years: What happens to Martin Ødegaard? Bayern Munich are still keeping a close eye on the Gunners captain – and the uncertainty surrounding his contract is making the situation increasingly inflamed.

Arsenal travel to the Fortuna Arena today on Wednesday before meeting with Slavia Prague in the Champions League, while Bayern Munich had their Champions League match yesterday at the Estádio Cívitas Metropolitano against Atlético Madrid.

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The 27-year-old midfield maestro is still a mainstay of Mikel Arteta’s project, but his contract expires in June 2028. That means Arsenal are approaching the dangerous final year – and that’s exactly where Bayern smell blood.

Bayern and Juventus are lurking in the wings

According to the Daily Briefing, both Bayern Munich and Juventus are among the giants who follow Ødegaard closely. Bayern are said to have kept in touch with the Norwegian’s representatives for several years already.

Sky Sport Germany confirms the interest and reports that Ødegaard himself can envision a future in the Bundesliga. Bayern have been in contact with his camp on several occasions – although he is not currently considered one of their highest priority transfer targets.

Juventus’ interest, on the other hand, seems less concrete at the moment, with no strong signals that a formal bid is being prepared.

Arteta: “He’s our captain”

Arsenal have already started informal talks about an extension, and the club’s desire is crystal clear: they will not let their most valuable player go into the final year of their contract.

Arteta himself has been clear about how much he values his captain. After Ødegaard’s brilliant start to the season, he said:

Contract extension must be priority number one

For Arsenal, a sale of Ødegaard should only be relevant if negotiations actually break down.

He is captain, Arteta’s main creative force and a key piece in Arsenal’s pressing game. Replacing all of these qualities would be far more difficult than simply finding a new attacking midfielder.

Bayern’s interest is worth keeping an eye on – especially as Ødegaard is reportedly open to playing there in the long term. For now, however, there are no formal negotiations between the clubs, and Arsenal are still in control.

The sensible way forward is clear: Secure Ødegaard a new long-term contract in the coming months. Should that prove impossible, a big sale in 2027 could make financial sense – but right now everything should be about keeping him.

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