According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal are not looking to extend Thomas Partey’s contract and will allow the midfielder to leave the club this summer should a suitable offer be made.
Clubs in Italy have been tipped to make a move for the Ghana international whose current contract at Emirates Stadium runs until 2025.
Partey was recruited from Atletico Madrid for £50 million in October 2020 and he’s been an important part of Mikel Arteta’s rebuild.
🚨 Understand there’s concrete chance for Thomas Partey to leave Arsenal this summer. Clubs are interested and there are discussions about his exit. #AFC
Current contract expiring in June 2025 and no talks to extend as of today.
Arsenal priority remains Declan Rice. pic.twitter.com/LwrUPhQ6sF
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 18, 2023
To date, he’s made 99 appearances although hamstring injuries hampered him in his first two years. He produced his best form between August and Christmas last season but struggled in the closing months and was increasingly rotated out of the side in favour of January signing Jorginho.
Arsenal have lined up Declan Rice and Romeo Lavia to bolster the ranks in midfield. The Gunners have already had one bid for the West Ham captain rejected but still feel confident of getting their number one target.
🚨 Arsenal have concrete and strong interest in Romeo Lavia. Relationship is excellent with his camp — talks already took place. #AFC
Timing will be crucial as Chelsea remain interested. Man United appreciate Lavia but still not advancing. City buy back clause only valid 2024. pic.twitter.com/QcTMqPx5ou
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 18, 2023
Lavia, 19, has enjoyed an impressive campaign at Southampton and is wanted by several clubs. Romano claims that talks have already taken place and that the relationship with his camp is “excellent”.
Arsenal are also looking to do a deal with Chelsea for Kai Havertz.
It’s all go!
Partey’s over?
We’re not Man City and haven’t won anything yet. The bold weird strategy will only bite us in the Arse.
Huh? We shouldn’t be looking to improve on a squad that weren’t quite good enough to win the league?
Happy to see him stay but even happier to see him replaced by someone a little more reliable when it comes to injury/form.
Can we improve it with a 19 years old?
Presume Rice would be an upgrade on Partey, Latvia for Elneny/Lokonga. Xhakas replacement maybe ESR or Havertz?
Presume Rice would be an upgrade on international captain midfielder from Africa, Latvia for Elneny/Lokonga. Xhaka’s replacement maybe ESR or Havertz?
Who knows but I definitely wasn’t assuming Lavia would be his replacement if Partey was sold.
I would’ve thought responsibilities will be shared between Jorginho & Rice (if he signs). Reality is it’s early days & it’s yet to be seen who signs & who goes. Sit back & enjoy the ride.
Silly question as it’s not about age it’s about ability, Both 19 year old Cesc and 19 year old Jack would have been huge improvements on Partey.
Lavia is raw yet has huge potential. However and more importantly, he has proved that he can at least hold his own in the Premier League where as some of our recent “younger with bags of potential players” have really struggled with the physicality and speed of the EPL.
They would if they played the same position. Yes they were midfielders but they played completely different roles to Partey, so this argument doesn’t work. Regarding Lavia, I would rather he be here as well as more than instead of Partey given he could learn a lot from him.
I know Partey’s form tanked in the second half of the season but he can do things not many other players in the world can with such authority.
Losing both Partey and Xhaka is extremely risky in my opinion as it completely shifts the dynamic, but maybe it’s what we need.
The original question was could we improve on him with a 19 year old. I was not saying either Jack or Cesc would be exactly like for like, just making the point that it’s about ability not age.
For what it’s worth I think Cesc probably could have played a very similar role to Partey and if memory served on the odd occasion did.
Interesting how we fans can sometimes forget things easily, for the period that he stayed fit, he was by a mile the player we could not replace, he was probably our best player, no wonder our inconsistent periods within the season have always coincided with when he is poor, my conclusion is that if we can get him fit by reducing the number of matches he plays, then he is a great player for us, he does better in the role he plays for us than anyone I can immediately recollect, not even D. Rice is as good. I will… Read more »
Man City weren’t ‘the Man City’ we all know now, until a ‘bold strategy’ was adopted..
Go boldly toward your dreams or sit and just hope….
Strange if true
Ah come on, he’s clearly a liability. Best to offload if we can.
He was one of the best midfielders in the league for 2/3 of the season.
Well that’s the issue isn’t it, only two thirds. He’s never managed a full season with us at a high level due to injuries or form and the manager clearly lost faith in him at the end of this one. Compare and contrast his consistency with that of someone like Rodri or, dare I say, Declan Rice.
Also, when we were looking like we might win the league, ‘the thing’ was starting to circle hard with opposition fans. I think it may well have tainted our victory, had a victory come about.
I’m just not sure it’s a great look for us. But of course he is an utterly fantastic player.
Arteta is very strict when it comes to what Arsenal should stand for as a club. And I think the last year has made it difficult to claim certain things that we believe Arsenal to be.
Well, my view was that his sudden and drastic decline in form was due to (a) carrying some injury–evidenced by Arsenal sending a trainer to accompany him at the last international break; and (b) Saliba’s absence forcing him into a role that limited his ability to exhibit his strengths. At the time, I remember also wondering if there had been some legal development that changed his situation or his outlook (hard to talk about stuff without talking about stuff). I’ve tried to keep an open mind on that issue, because I do respect that an open mind is a necessary… Read more »
I want to echo that point about fairness and due process, important not to overlook it.
Yep. I didn’t say I agree with it.
Just that it’s not a great look, especially given that rivals have reacted differently.
I think arsenal are approaching a golden era and I just don’t want anything to taint that.
Referring back to the issue of fairness, and speaking as judiciously as possible, personally I wouldn’t say it’s fair to make comparisons given the differing circumstances and limited credible information in the public sphere. That’s the last I’m going to say on the matter on here!
Bit presumptuous on Partey, no?
Just out of curiosity, Partey is blasted for being very good most of the season and losing form at the end. A certain Bukayo Saka too was excellent and he too lost form at the end. Do they all get viewed in the same prism or we subject certain players to different standards 🤔
The difference is that Partey is a very experienced player with both a La Liga and EL title under his belt, so one might be forgiven for expecting more from him than of Saka.
And perhaps more importantly, throughout that poor run that cost us the league, we were still scoring goals and Saka still contributed even if he wasn’t playing quite as well as before the international break. In contrast, our issues in that run were primarily defensive in nature and Partey was as culpable as anyone, ultimately being dropped for Jorginho.
For me Saka does rightly or wrongly deserve a bit more of an easy ride based on his performances and consistency over the last 3 or 4 seasons, during a very difficult time for the team, at such a young age.
Wasn’t Saka carrying an injury since the Liverpool game though?
That’s why we have to have him around but less load! A player that good shouldn’t be allowed to leave at this moment. We are not at that stage yet I think.
A few bad games when he was obviously not fit has not made him a liability. One of the best defensive midfielders in the world and a key part in us challenging for the title. Personally I think it would be a bad mistake to let him go.
Very. Surely that means we need 3 mids. When fresh and healthy he’s one of the best DMs in the world. Not sure why we wouldn’t be extending unless there is more to the off pitch stuff.
Not really. If my main comment gets published (waiting for admin for some reason…) you’ll see my reasoning.
Indeed, it will be a big mistake to think that a young Lavia however talented will be more consistent and brilliant than Partey. Partey is a master at his craft and needs to work intensively with a fitness and diet coach. For the club to cut both our starting central midfielders loose is a mistake.
Could be Arteta’s biggest mistake yet…. He’s at his prime and has such a difficult to replicate skillset that we’re being quoted 100m for a player we don’t know is better….Not sure there are 5players on the planet that do what partey does when he’s fit… caution! Should be eased out only after replacing… afterall jorginho is older and far less athletic
I’m not convinced we would sell both him and Xhaka in the same window by our own choice. But for different reasons, if they both feel at this stage of their lives they want pastures new abroad, then we can’t really keep them onboard.
That’s a heck of a lot of experience in the middle of the park to lose in one window, which is perhaps why we’re specifically targeting Rice, Lavia, Havertz, and Caicedo previously; Premier League replacements.
Brilliant player on his day, but with his “legal issues”, he comes with a lot of baggage which can weigh him down and the club along with him. Although it was claimed to be an injury but him missing the home game against City and a date with the sheriff concided perfectly. This stuff can really play on his mind and imagine if he actually gets done.
Thought Partey was excellent until we got to Feb/March and injuries, and loss of form, kicked in.
If we lose him and Xhaka in one summer then that’s a lot to replace. No doubt we need younger legs in the middle, but didn’t see this as a possibility.
Would be a typical Juve signing.
I think this is one where you accept a fairly ‘nominal’ fee to just move him & his wages on.
Nah, he’s got 2 years left on his contract & one of the best midfielders at the club. Think we could get close to making our money back if we were to sell.
£60m for a 30 year old with, ahem, considerable baggage? I’d be happy just to clear him out quietly.
I thought he cost between 45-50m? Not sure we’ll recoup that but I would’ve thought it would be closer to that than ‘nominal’.
Must admit, I’ve got no clue what the deal is with his ‘bagage’ or how it’ll effect any potential deal
He scored a banger against spurs, so good luck to him. Have we got Rice, Caicedo AND Lavia yet?
The Romans invented concrete. Fabrizio is a Romano. We concretely want the namesake of an Italian star-crossed lover, Romeo. Italian (18+ generations Roman) clubs concretely want the (apparently) not so loving, Party.
That’s a lot of
dots connectedconcreteThis is more coherent than most conspiracies out there today!
Keep taking the pills
How much will we get for him?
40mill you’d hope.
I think with age, injury profile, wages and -off field things-… We’re probably looking at closer to 20-25m, unless a Saudi club comes in…
Maybe Saudi would be interesting to him. Closer to home. I don’t imagine they have an extradition agreement…
Saudi is the only realistic way we’d get even close to 20m. No other English club will go near him and most other European clubs couldn’t take on his wages and pay a fee. Anyone expecting Partey’s sale to be a big earner is in dreamland. But the club would be absolutely delighted for a quick deal and I think we’ll see that Partey will move at the slightest hint of a realistic chance of a deal being done.
If we let him go (and I would be ok with that but only if we keep Xhaka instead) he needs to go for something like 35-40m €. His age, injuries and “that of which we do not speak” count against a higher price tag, but for most of the season he was a top 3 defensive midfielder in the league. If nobody want to pay that – then we will just keep the massively talented and experienced holding midfielder with great build up play and versatility. We have to compete in 4 tournaments next season- and I think he… Read more »
I don’t think it’s about his form…
What do you think it’s about?
That which must not be discussed…
One wants to think the best of people, and innocent until proven guilty etc, but the situation does make you wonder. The boss seems big on culture, values and so on.
What issues? Sorry I’m the last to know about these things. Is it like Phillip Schofield stuff??
I think the management/owners are taking into account the charges brought against him. The likely outcomes and their effects on the team and the club. (Including the possible losses in marketing value (thru general perception of the club). Plus: probably the possible losses in Partey’s transfer value too.
You’re wrong. Charges against him have been dropped. It seem to y’all men can never ever be falsely accused.
This can be a football decision, one I don’t think I understand fully. If there is any truth to this, then I’m sure Arteta has his football reasons for making the decision.
Arsenal played Partey when the heat was on on that case. It won’t be now that it’s all died down that the club let’s him go over “legal issues.”
Quit the spinning.
I had a feeling something was up when the club didn’t wish him Happy birthday on twitter. Even the most random estranged ex players get a birthday tweet. Thought that was strange.
Yaya Toure mkII
Uh, that’s definitely not something the club have done deliberately even if it’s true.
Open to correction but as far as I know, Muslims don’t celebrate birthdays. Perhaps the social media team respecting his religion.
He isn’t a Muslim, apparently it was all a joke. He’s a very weird person.
Nah mate, we do.
A genuine question, please help me with the answer…
How does Fabrizio Romano know so much inside details? He seems to know more than all others combined.
Not any more (particularly in the PL and specifically Arsenal) than the Ornacle
Not sure about Romano’s sources, which seem limited to transfers. Ornstein is an actual journalist, and he is always careful about describing his level of confidence in a story.
Yeah, nothing against Fabrizio but it seems as though he goes more for quantity of content compared to journalists like Ornstein who are a bit more cautious in their reporting, which makes sense.
Blood sacrifices to the footballing gods.
If they let Partey and Xhaka go and sign Rice and Lavia, are Arsenal stronger for it?
Lavia needs a few years yet. So if we sign those two we still need a third experienced midfielder. Can’t see it all happening
Let’s not do this
Xhaka and Partey both leave in one window… that’s too much change in my humble opinion. One or the other seems more measured.
I’ve theorized just this in the arses 3 times since the season ended. Pretty clear that when you look at senior players who failed to step up at the end of the season when it mattered, Partey is right at the top of that short list. Add to this the persistent off-field rumours and a propensity for injuries, plus the obvious fact he’d be back up to Rice then this felt very likely.
I’m not trying to be funny or speculative, but I wonder are the alleged ongoing investigations into his private life a factor in the club’s decision here?
See above.
Possibly but he doesn’t act like a man facing allegations. His team mates don’t seem to have a problem with him either.
We don’t actually know what went on or if it even involves him.
I agree that we don’t know what went on, it was more a question of curiosity than stating a fact or opinion.
Truly the strangest aspect of following Arsenal last year. The big thing we must not speak of, the opposition jeers needing to be ignored by all commentary platforms, and the fact it’s just rumbled on in the background for a full year now. And yet it seemed to have had no noticeable impact on his place in the group (*potentially* until this moment? 🤷♂️). Such a weird one.
Tis bizarre
It’s not weird if you consider that if the allegations are false, nobody should be talking about them. Mind you, I have no knowledge either way, but to punish a person in public for over a year, possibly incorrectly, even if it’s a smaller possibility, it’s still possible, and would be criminal in itself.
If we sell Partey we’ll need more than just Rice and Lavia coming in this transfer window. We can probably do with another experience midfielder.
Letting go of Xhaka and Partey (both first choice, both excellent) in one summer strikes me as very risky (and I just can’t believe we’d let Jorginho go as well if those two go – seems more likely to me that Arteta would integrate him more strongly, and he’s clearly rated him highly as a specific kind of midfielder for a long time). Rice would come and fill in seamlessly I reckon but you’re still down one of your first choice midfielders from last season, our best in many years. I kinda admire the ballsiness of it, assuming there’s method… Read more »
I wouldn’t be against it on a decent return of investment. He showed great form but also that form totally collapsed and made silly sloppy mistakes which contributed to our end of season collapse. But if he does go, so far we seem to be left with Elneny and Jorginho if Xhaka and Lakonga are on the way out. Even if we did get Rice and Levia, we are short
For the most part last season form wise he was excellent. Off field stuff may be a factor, but it’s possibly the injury record too? It was curious when we sent out a member of the medical team with him when he was on international duty. If it’s not a priority to extend his contract maybe they aren’t confident in his fitness long term, and with two years left we may be able to recoup some funds to put back into new signings.
Some may be surprised by this but it makes sense from the club’s perspective. In the run-in, Arteta clearly lost faith in him, dropping him and then trying him as a makeshift right back. He’s been with us for three seasons but due either fitness or form, has not been able to maintain the levels he’s capable of for a whole season. He’s only getting older, is one of our highest earners, and then there are the complicated matters off the pitch. We’ve also been linked with every DM under the sun.
It makes absolutely no sense at all to sell a world class defensive midfielder who has been a key element in taking Arsenal to Premier League challengers.
We all know he’s struggled with injuries and is getting older. Maybe the data is suggesting he’s starting to decline and therefore getting some value for him while we can makes sense, if we can bring in someone who can do the role reliably. Big boots to fill though.
Has Arteta managed a whole season on top of his tactics?
😀
I don’t think using him as an inverted right fullback (like a Zinchenko mirror) shows that Arteta lost faith in him; just the opposite.
Do you think Arteta sees Partey there long term? I didn’t see it that way at the time, it seemed more like a way of getting White back at CB and Kiwior at LB. Nor did I think Partey was particularly convincing in that role.
He has two years left on his contract, is injured all the time, has a nasty habit of sloppily giving the ball away in dangerous positions and has personal issues. I hope we can get some money for him, I really want to see him gone.
I would say cash in – but not before we have adequate replacements in.
Yes, the goal against Tottenham was sublime.
Yes, he linked well with Xhaka and Zinchenko and Odegaard.
But I am truly sick to the back teeth of worrying every time the ACN comes around, someone will breathe on him and he’s out for nine more months.
How can you let go of your first eleven midfielders Xhaka and Partey and claims to be ambitious?? Does not make sense to me!!!
This would be fucking idiotic. Unless they are selling for some off-pitch reason.
I have a suspicion that Arsenal are being used by both West Ham and Declan Rice to negotiate a favourable move to Man City.
With Real signing Bellingham I imagine one of Camavinga, Tchouameni or Valverde may become available – all of which have more pedigree at the top level than Declan Rice.
That’s quite a conspiracy, I’m sure if Man City wanted him they would just bid for him and get him.
Romano recently learnt the word concrete it seems.
Well, this certainly sounds bad. Was excellent for most of the season and then, like most of the team, he lost form. Players like Saka, White and Odegaard lost form badly at around the same time as well. So should we now say they’re no good? Unless there’s certainly another reason.
Anyway, letting him go and replacing with Lavia will most certainly be a bad move. And losing 2 of our starting midfielders and replacing with 2 isn’t a step forward. Certainly not.
I can only hope the decision makers make the right choice
Forget ruthless, Arteta can’t stand Ruth.
Here’s why this worries me just a little: Partey – on form and injury-free – is unquestionably a world-class player; He has on numerous occasions (see above point) been an absolute Rolls Royce in midfield for us; before he just gets binned as a ‘mistake’ – whether for injury, personality/attitude or off-field lifestyle issues – I’d like to be certain that the club did their utmost to maximise him as an Arsenal resource; one could argue that there’s a worrying trend with Auba, Laca (banging ’em in for free in France), Pepe and now Partey… simply becoming ‘expendable’ for a… Read more »
‘just slip into the Arsenal culture’ – pardon my typo!
Only sell him if we get Rice and someone else in, need more depth and as well as Jorginho played in some of the matches he started he is at best a one year option to cover for Rice (assuming we get him in soon). We need to get a good return if we sell Partey given the two years he has left on his contract and what we paid for him.
Let’s do this!
People on here complaining we are selling him now, will be the same people complaining that we didn’t sell him now in a few years time, when he is worth diddly squat. You can’t win either way.
I really like watching Partey when he’s on form. There is no-one quite like him.
That said, he’s like a car that purrs beautifully along every track until a few days before the big race. Then the fan belt goes, the tires roll off and the chassis snaps in two.
If we can afford him them fine. But if we can’t then we gotta get a more reliable player.
He could be a valuable squad member. Bring him on in the 70th minute mark for Rice when we’re 2-0 up and need to see the game out…
Not sure if anyone notice that he tend to run out of steam at around 75+ min every game and he doesn’t get sub out, as we had no replacement. Thankfully, most of the games we were winning by then and he’s walking around the midfield instead, We didn’t have the backup for him till Jorginho came, yet at that point, we were starting to drop points and tighter games, so he stays on the pitch to control the midfield, especially after we lost Saliba(one who can also bring the ball forward with ease) and MA chose to keep faith… Read more »