Thomas Partey was having his situation carefully evaluated at Arsenal since the end of last season due to the expiration of his contract on Monday, June 30. Many fans were divided over whether he should stay or go, but the midfielder made a decision that many may find surprising.
Reports released on Sunday indicate that negotiations for Partey to extend his contract with Arsenal have failed in recent days. Due to contractual disagreements and the timing of the contract renewal in talks with the Gunners' management, a decision has been made for the 32-year-old to leave the team in the next few hours.
These negotiations had been going on since April, even though Partey had been allowed to look for foreign teams since January, precisely because of the importance the midfielder played throughout the 2024/25 season for Mikel Arteta's side, making 52 appearances in all competitions.
Partey has managed to show the fans that he's important, especially in terms of squad depth and the increasing physical demands of a season that will see him missing out on the African Cup of Nations and possibly injuries in the European Qualifiers for the World Cup. However, Arsenal were signaling that they wouldn't go crazy to keep Parety in the squad.
Arsenal show they can live without Thomas Partey
Martin Zubimendi has almost signed for Arsenal and will be officially announced in the next few days, with Real Sociedad expected to close the deal in July. Arsenal are also finalizing a deal with Brentford to sign Christian Norgaard, another considerable addition to the squad.
Partey arrived at Arsenal after making a name for himself with Atlético de Madrid in October 2020 for a fee of €50 million, having played 188 games and won the UEFA Europa League with Atleti. However, Arsenal have shown that they have other priorities to strengthen their squad.