‘Arsenal u-turn emerges on exit-bound Thomas Partey’
Arsenal appear to have changed their stance over the future of Thomas Partey, with the midfielder’s contract due to expire at the end of this season.
The Ghana international joined the Gunners from Atletico Madrid back in the summer of 2020, and has since made over 150 appearances for the club.
There had been an expectation that Partey would leave Arsenal on a free transfer in the summer when his current contract with the club comes to an end.
However, there now looks to be a fresh possibility that the 31-year-old will extend his stay with the club into next season at least.
Thomas Partey enters new contract talks
According to a report from David Ornstein at The Athletic, the club and player are now in talks over a new contract that would extend his stay at The Emirates at least into the 2025/26 campaign.
It is stated that Arsenal are now keen to keep Partey after he returned to a more prominent role in Mikel Arteta‘s side, and that the midfielder is also open to staying.
The 31-year-old would apparently accept either an improved new two-year deal, or a one-year contract with the option to extend by a further 12 months, and he is said to be happy at the club.
All that is despite the fact that it is noted it had “long appeared” that Partey would leave the Gunners this summer.
| Thomas Partey 2024/25 Premier League stats | Total (from SofaScore) |
| Appearances | 30 |
| Goals | 4 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Pass Success Rate | 89% |
| Duel Success Rate | 59% |
| Tackles per Game | 2.6 |
Arsenal recently appointed Andrea Berta as their new sporting director, and a report from Sami Mokbel at the BBC has stated he could be key to the midfielder’s future.
It is suggested that the Spaniard’s arrival has changed the outlook over whether Partey could remain at The Emirates Stadium into next season and beyond.
The pair already have a strong relationship having previously worked together at Atletico Madrid, outlining why Berta may have such influence over what comes next for the 31-year-old.
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Football Insider Verdict
From a footballing perspective, the fact that Partey is now in talks to extend his stay at the club will likely be seen as a positive for the Gunners.
The midfielder has produced what many feel is some of his best form for Arteta’s side this season, which would make this a strange time to lose him as they look to progress.
It is also worth noting that fellow midfielder Jorginho looks set to leave Arsenal on a free transfer when his own contract comes to an end in the summer.
Keeping Partey around would therefore also help maintain an element of depth in the centre of the park for the club, easing the demands on them in that position in the transfer window.
That could be helpful given the expectation there is on Arsenal to finally sign a centre-forward when the market reopens, with no need to sign a replacement for Partey freeing up more of the budget for that.
With that in mind, plenty connected with the Gunners will no doubt take a keen interest in how these talks play out over the course of the coming weeks.