Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey is reportedly on the verge of leaving Arsenal after negotiations over a new contract came to a complete standstill, according to ESPN.
Partey’s current deal with the Gunners expires at the end of June, and sources suggest that no agreement is expected to be reached.
The 31-year-old joined Arsenal in October 2020 from Atletico Madrid in a £45 million move but now looks likely to part ways with the North London club.
During his time at Arsenal, Partey made 167 appearances, scoring nine goals. Despite struggling with injuries during the 2023/24 season, he returned to play a key role in Mikel Arteta’s squad, helping the team reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. His trophy cabinet remains sparse, although he did feature in Arsenal’s 2023 Community Shield win over Manchester City via penalties.
Arsenal are reportedly close to finalizing a £51 million deal for Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi, seen as a direct replacement for Partey in midfield.
Speaking about his future, Partey admitted that family considerations will heavily influence his decision:
“I think the first thing is where you are happy and where you feel at home. At the end of the day, you’ve been in football, in different teams. Then it’s about what is your next objective — what do you want to achieve next? You still have to look at all this. And at the end of the day, we all have a family that needs money. This is our mind.”
“We are not getting younger. There are a lot of things to consider — where you want your family to be happy. When you are young you just play anywhere. I’m an Arsenal fan, but I can’t decide anything — I’ll leave it to my agent and the club. I just want to enjoy football.”
With no signs of a contract breakthrough, Partey’s exit from Arsenal this summer seems increasingly inevitable.
