Tierney on Odegaard's Arsenal pay: "f***ing hell!"
FT Desk
- Updated: 3 Aug 2022 13:07 BST
- 3 min read
Martin Odegaard may have been named Arsenal captain recently, but that didn't stop teammate Kieran Tierney from being blown away by the Norwegian's wages.
Odegaard joined the Gunners in a €40 million deal from Real Madrid at the start of last season having impressed on loan during the previous campaign, and was recently made captain on a full-time basis, the role having been vacated since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's departure to Barcelona.
Odegaard has proven his worth across his two seasons at the Emirates, and contributed seven goals and four assists as Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League last season, but that hasn't stopped teammate Tierney from baulking at his £4m/€5m salary.
💬 "I’m very proud to be captain of this fantastic football club."
Martin Odegaard ©️— Arsenal (@Arsenal) July 30, 2022
Tierney: "f***ing hell!"
The pair came together on the first episode of Amazon documentary All or Nothing: Arsenal, with Tierney opening the conversation by saying: "Good to be back bro. "I heard what wages you were getting and I thought f***ing hell!"
Tierney and Odegaard may have a good working relationship, but Odegaard's pay packet puts him comfortably above star performer Bukayo Saka at the Emirates, and in the same range as Tierney himself.
At 23, Odegaard is young for an Arsenal captain, and Granit Xhaka - a former wearer of the armband - was filmed dominating an on-field team talk during the Gunners' 6-0 win over Sevilla in the Emirates Cup last Saturday.
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Odegaard says he is ready for the challenge, though.
"I'm very proud to be named captain of this amazing football club," he said after the game. "Thank you very much for the support today at the stadium.
"We are looking forward to starting the league now, so let's go. Of course I was happy, proud and grateful for the trust and for [Mikel Arteta] wanting me to be the captain."
Arsenal kick off their 2022/23 Premier League campaign away to Crystal Palace on Friday.
