Thomas Partey and William Saliba in Arsenal training (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images)
Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey faces an uncertain future as he nears the end of his contract at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners also have Jorginho close to becoming a free agent this summer, so that could be a bit of a concern for Mikel Arteta next season.
Still, it may be that Partey’s future hasn’t entirely been settled yet, with Charles Watts explaining that the Ghana international’s camp feel there may now be a higher chance of him getting a new deal.
Writing in his exclusive CaughtOffside column, Watts provided his latest update on Partey’s future, based on what he’s heard from those close to the player.
Thomas Partey transfer situation seems to have changed since last week
Watts feels that just a week ago it looked highly likely that Partey would be on his way out of Arsenal this summer, but that’s no longer necessarily the case.
The 31-year-old has had a slightly concerning injury record during his time in north London, and that might be a concern as he approaches his 32nd birthday.
Still, it’s also worth saying that Partey’s recent form has been superb, and he’s done a bit better staying fit this term.
With that in mind, it perhaps makes sense that Partey’s future is still open.
“This time last week I would have said it was almost certain that Thomas Partey would leave Arsenal in the summer,” Watts said.
“I still do think that is the most likely scenario, but I have been told that there is a feeling within Partey’s camp that the club are open to starting talks over a potential extension for the midfielder.
“Partey is out of contract in the summer and so far there have been no formal talks over a new deal. His representatives were in London recently and watched the Real Madrid game, but that visit did not include discussions with the club over his future.
“So we’ll have to see what happens over the coming weeks when it comes to the Ghana international.
“I know he is happy and settled in London with his family and he would be open to staying, with a new two-year deal understood to be something he and his representatives view as acceptable.
“But you could understand why Arsenal would be reluctant to extend Partey’s stay, with his injury record far from impressive during his time in North London.
“His availability has been good this season, however, which he will point to and you could argue he is playing better now than he ever has in an Arsenal shirt.
“But – if talks do take place – you can see both sides being some way apart in terms of a starting point for those discussions.
“This could be Partey’s last big contract and there is strong interest in him from top clubs across Europe as well as from Saudi Arabia, so he will want to get as good a deal as possible.
“But you would think Arsenal would be looking to reduce his wages due to his age and past injury record, so talks will not be easy.
“Allowing both Partey and Jorginho to leave in the same summer would be a bit of a risk for Arsenal, even if Zubimendi does arrive.”
