According to information we have, Arsenal are prepared to let captain Martin Ødegaard leave before the summer transfer window closes if the right offer comes in. Gunners management could have up to seven first-team players on the outgoing list this summer, and Ødegaard is among the names that will most unsettle supporters.
Pricing a departure, not a fire sale
The logic needs to be clear first: what Arsenal mean by a "suitable price" has never been "sell to anyone who bids" but rather a deal close to the club's internal valuation. Front-line reporting indicates the Gunners previously took the same stance on Ødegaard and Gabriel Martinelli — offers below €95 million (around £82 million) would generally not be seriously entertained. This does not contradict the "seven on the market" list: being on the outgoing list means the club is willing to evaluate bids, not that they are actively slashing prices in a clearance sale.
Ødegaard has two years left on his contract, and formal extension talks were not launched before the end of the season. For a team that has just won the title, this is usually read as "keeping options open": either wait until form picks up in the new season before agreeing a long-term deal, or cash in while the player's value remains at its peak.
From 18 goal involvements to seven: why the captain's season lost momentum
Ødegaard contributed only one goal and six assists in the Premier League this season — seven direct goal involvements in total — a sharp drop from his 18 involvements in 2023-24 and widely regarded as his least productive season since joining Arsenal. Despite remaining a dressing-room leader and on-pitch captain, the dip in numbers has indeed given Mikel Arteta room to manoeuvre when reshaping the squad this summer.
Arsenal only last month lifted England’s top-flight title for the first time in 22 years, with Mikel Arteta meeting an interim objective by winning the Premier League; yet defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final served as a reminder that the club still lacks the final push to bridge domestic dominance and Europe’s top stage. Discussions over the future of a key midfielder at this juncture are essentially roster upgrade calculations during a title-contention window, rather than mere squad clearance.
Why Bayern and Paris Have Been Named
Sources say Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are both believed to retain interest in Martin Ødegaard. For Bayern, their Champions League campaign this season has been uneven—in-house data shows the side drew 1-1 with the same opponent twice during the UCL phase, on May 7 and May 31, with attacking efficiency and control not fully realised; signing a No. 10 with playmaking, set-piece and big-game experience fits their usual reinforcement logic. Paris, having just beaten Arsenal in the Champions League final, would further strengthen their midfield grip by poaching the opposition captain, adding extra spice to the transfer tug-of-war.
However, Arsenal’s firm stance on their captain’s price tag means any potential buyer must be prepared to write a large cheque and commit to long-term planning. Ødegaard is still only 27; even with a dip in form this season, his record of captaining a Premier League-winning side remains attractive to Europe’s elite. Any queue of suitors lining up enquiries is more likely after Arsenal clearly signal willingness to negotiate, not at this stage.
Beyond the Seven-Man List, What Really Matters
For Arsenal fans, what matters more than the “sell or keep” debate is whether summer transfer funds will be reinvested in a striker, winger, or depth across midfield and defense. If Ødegaard leaves, the Gunners need more than a transfer fee—they need a replacement who can serve as the creative hub through the grind of a Premier League and Champions League double campaign; if he stays, the question becomes whether preseason can restore the final-pass quality and long-range threat they showed in the 2023-24 season.
Our read: Arteta will not rebuild by “dumping the captain” on the cheap, but those three words—“the right price”—have left plenty of room for suspense this summer. Over the coming weeks, whether Bayern and PSG submit formal bids, and whether Arsenal also push other names on their sales list such as Martinelli, will determine whether this becomes a fine-tuning of their title-winning squad or evolves into a more sweeping overhaul.
