Thomas Partey says he’s happy at Arsenal even though there’s a strong possibility the player will leave the club at the end of the season.
Partey was said to be on the shopping list of several clubs in Saudi Arabia last summer and was also approached by Juventus but ended up staying at the Emirates when the Gunners set a high asking price and couldn’t source a suitable replacement.
He’s subsequently endured a nightmare season with injuries making just nine appearances across all competitions. Four of those have come in the last month, including a first start in last night’s 2-0 win over Luton.
Having looked fit and sharp, Partey is keen to make an impact in the remainder of the campaign.
“I feel really good,” he told the Evening Standard. “It’s been a while. I’ve been trying to work a lot on my fitness and I’ve been through a lot of work. I’ve done all I can and I’m really happy to be back and I feel really good.
“I think everybody is working hard, we have a lot of great players. Jorginho’s there, Dec [Rice] is there and I think Mo [Elneny] as well and we have a lot of players in that position.
On the subject of his future, he added: “My head is always here. This is where I choose to play, I’m really happy every time I’m on the field.
“I know a lot of speculation has been going on, but for me, I’m really happy to be here and to continue playing for this club.”
While Partey is under contract at Arsenal until 2025, Mikel Arteta and Edu know the upcoming transfer window will be their last chance to recoup a decent chunk of the £50 million paid to Atletico Madrid in 2020.
That said, given his recurring thigh issues, it’s going to be difficult securing big money for a player on the wrong side of 30.
Any decision to retain his services may depend on the futures of fellow midfielders Jorginho and Elneny. The Gunners want to keep the Italy international but are yet to reach an agreement with his agent while the Egyptian is likely to leave as a free agent after eight years.
Wouldn’t be a surprise to see him go. Difficult decision, I’d prefer him to sign up for more seasons IF he can play regularly.
He can’t play regularly, he never has. The best we can hope for is he stays fit and we get c. £30m for him to go towards Zubimendi
He played 33 PL games last season. The idea that anyone would pay us north of £10m for him is a pipe dream. We didn’t get much more than that for a younger, ever present Xhaka.
Partey should be kept and used sensibly when available for another season, unless someone comes in with an unlikely favourable offer.
He’s much more talented than Xhaka though, probably a top 5 DM in the world when fully fit. But yeah probably not smart to sell him now, better keep him for one more season at least, see if you can extend his contract by 1 year, and if by chance he proves he can stay healthy next season his value will probably go up despite his age. Then sell him.
Yeah this is always tough. It’s like when we had Rosicky and Diaby and for years we thought, well if he can just stay healthy… and they would give us tantalizing glimpses of what they could do but it would just never last. It was so tempting to keep them around because *when they were fit* there were few better players in their position. You couldn’t sell them while injured and then when they finally came back and put a few games together you had the hope it would last. In reality it ended up being a strain on the… Read more »
I don’t appreciate that grouping of Rosicky and Diaby together, very different players and careers. Rosicky was a fully developed player who had a successful career before he came to Arsenal and a fairly productive and winning player with us whenever he was fit, which wasn’t never. He had one major prolonged injury and then a few minor ones, but he helped us win two FA cups and secure a bunch of top 4 finishes. Diaby had only a handful of good games for us his entire career. His talent was always tantalising but he never had even a small… Read more »
Downvotes on this are really strange, how is this even remotely controversial, Rosicky played 6 years for Dortmund before Arsenal and was one of the best players on a Bundesliga winning team. He took the Czech Republic to the Euro semis. And even if you just looked at his Arsenal career, which you really shouldn’t, even then he was simply a better player, not better talent, but better player. If you think otherwise you literally know zero about football other than “that guy looks like a good player because he has long legs and can dribble”.
Ok, at this point I know whoever is still down voting is just trolling and has nothing to do with Rosicky and Diaby 😅 hope you’re having fun out there, love you all.
Even with Decan not playing in the Luton game, we can see how Partey lubricate the midfield, moving balls around effortlessly. It is not easy to find a replacement like him. Like everyone else, I hope he stays fit and contribute.
Monetary decision at the end of the day. There is a sum whereby we’d definitely sell him, which – currently – is lower than the figure we had in mind last season. But there’s also a point where you’d take a chance on his fitness and keep him for the remainder of his contract if the offer isn’t high enough. Ultimately what he does between now and the end of the season is going to be massive in dictating the number we have in mind.
Can’t imagine anyone paying more than £10m for him
I agree with this. I lean towards keeping unless we go after another DM or think Lokonga has made a leap (though he can’t stay healthy either.) I think we sell one of those two. I am inclined to Partey because he’s first-11 quality when healthy. But I’d cash in if a stupid bid comes in.
We talk about player quality, but it’s all wind and wishes if the player is never on the pitch due to health. I marvel at the likes of Xhaka, and even Saka.
I get more wrong than I get right. But I just wasn’t having it that T5 was going to do nothing between now and the end of the season. we are so quick to write players off and forget how much they bring. We’ve done it with Zinny, GJ and TP (unsurprisingly they’ve all been out with injury). T5 is one of the world’s best CM’s. He can do things that even Deccy Rice can’t. If he stays fit for the rest of the season and recaptures his best form, I seriously think we win the league. What a rotation… Read more »
Sorry for all the abbreviations. I don’t think he’s Voldemort.
But you get moderated if you type his name.
A hangover from a rather dark time in ours and his history.
Oh wow, I just understood what happened to my last comment. Good to know!
Wow. I just got moderated too for saying T5’s name. Strange
His name is Thomas Partey.
If he was fully fit and in top form etc, would you rather play TP as a 6 with Rice playing a more box to box role or let Rice sit at the base and TP further forward? Personally I think where TP shines is his ability to take the ball on the half turn and progress it through the lines quickly. For that reason I’d be more inclined to leave Rice at the base. In all fairness TP is a beast when he’s fit he could genuinely win us the title if he hits the ground running. An in… Read more »
I hear that bus then you limit one of Rice’s main strengths which is his pressing and recovery runs. Obviously this is only useful when you don’t have the ball so we could alternate between the 2 options.
Partey is best as a 6, always has been. He plays his linebreaking passes from there, and having Rice as on 8 offsets the risk of Partey losing the ball…
That was the 3 that started the community shield against City so there’s some evidence that Arteta agrees with you, and so do I. That’s a top trio. I do think he’s best used at the base of the triangle because I think he’s at his best with the game in front of him for the reasons you’ve already given.
The mythical “fully fit Partey” is never going to happen. Hopefully he can keep himself playable until the end of the season so we can get a bit of money for him and put it towards a better and fitter player. Partey is either injured or rusty and giving the ball away, the team has moved on a lot in the last couple of years and needs someone better and more reliable. Of course he wants to stay, he’s paid a small fortune and can see that this team is going places, but I think there are better out there.… Read more »
He’s been crocked most of this season, but was available most of last season and even more of his first one with us. The whole injury myth is a bit idiotic.
Thomas Partey is top top top quality and can absolutely help this team get over the line in one or both of these campaigns we are still fighting in.
However, even if he does, he should be moved on this summer…hopefully with two winner’s medals!
Amen to the winner’s medals 🙏🏾
Agree, I love watching him so much. He’s good in tight spaces and wholly unafraid to receive it there and find a pass. I think his laconic style helps him to play this way, but maybe also the source some his errors. Errors which when he’s in full flow are fewer. The tragedy is he was probably a year or two early to our party. I still think Rice, Partey, Martin would be a world beating midfield. It has everything you’d want, it hurts my heart we probably won’t get to see it.
No midfielderbin the current arsenal setup is more capable of threading a pass through midfield than Thomas. These passes help break up pressure on the defending players and spring a surprise on opponents used to seeing arsenal spray passes to the flanks
Jorginho can, or Zinchenko from the same positions. What makes Thomas unique is he can progress with the pass AND the dribble. Zinny can feint and move past people but he lacks that raw power and strength. His running power and then his ability to make the best decision at just the right time is one of the things that makes KdB so dangerous and unique. Chance creation through the middle is actually a weakness in this Arsenal side that needs addressing. Kai and Smith Rowe are off the ball runners, and Rice is just learning to add that string… Read more »
Unpopular opinion, but I think with a midfield trio of Partey, Rice and Ode we’ll beat Bayern comfortably.
I hope we keep him. We ain’t recouping the transfer fee we paid for him. But I think he can be a useful squad player even as he’s on the wrong side of 30 now. He doesn’t rely too much on his speed and has great footballing intelligence, I can see him performing well even in years to come. He improves our team when he’s fit, and can also deputize in different midfield roles – even RB.
“I think” Mo is there? 😂