Mikel Arteta will make a decision on Martin Odegaard's future at the end of the season, but the early signs are positive and it remains likely that the Arsenal manager will look to extend the Real Madrid's midfielder's stay at Emirates Stadium.
football.london also understands that Arteta has so far been impressed with Odegaard's application in training and ease in which he's settled into life at the club.
"He is a young leader," Arteta said as quoted by Sky Sports. "He has been here a very short time but he has adapted very quickly. He is getting more and more respect from the players and the staff and his weight on the team will increase with every week.
"We have Martin for a few months from Real Madrid and first of all we have to maximise this time with him to try to bring to the team all the qualities he has.
"At the end of the season we will sit together and decide where we can take that relationship forward.
"At the moment it doesn't just depend on us."
Odegaard has struck up friendships with many of his team-mates, including Kieran Tierney who assisted the Norwegian as he scored the equaliser in Sunday's north London derby win over Tottenham.
"I said many times that I’ve been looking for stability (in same club), but haven’t found it," he told VG. "I think it’ll be important to find stability. I’m very happy at Arsenal, enjoying myself. I like it here. Now my focus is to finish the season, then we’ll see."
With Odegaard's contract running until 2023 at the Santiago Bernabeu, the most likely option this summer would be to extend his loan for another season in the same way the Gunners did with fellow Los Blancos midfielder Dani Ceballos.
Arteta faces the prospect of losing several players this summer through expiring contracts, whilst other first team stars are likely to see their situations resolved with one year remaining on their contracts.
