Arsenal have already waved goodbye to four senior players this summer as Andrea Berta continues his mini squad overhaul.
Kieran Tierney and Jorginho left the Gunners upon the expiry of their contracts and have joined Celtic and Flamengo respectively. Nuno Tavares joined Serie A side Lazio permanently in a deal worth £4.2million, while young winger Marquinhos is now a Cruzeiro player after a £2.5million deal was struck.
On top of those four departures, Raheem Sterling has returned to Chelsea after a disappointing loan spell and Neto has returned to Bournemouth. There could well be more exits in the coming weeks and months, too.
Thomas Partey is the immediate concern, with the midfielder’s contract expiring on June 30. The Ghana international was a mainstay in Mikel Arteta’s side throughout the 2024/25 season and it would be a real blow for the 32-year-old to leave for nothing this summer.
Arsenal chiefs and Partey’s representatives have held discussions over a new contract, with Arteta keen to keep the Ghanaian for at least one more year. According to GHANAsoccernet.com, however, talks have broken down and Partey, at this stage, is set to depart the club.
It’s said that Partey has “numerous offers on his table and is currently weighing up his options”. A decision is expected in the coming days and it may well just shape what Arsenal do in the rest of the transfer window. There are just 11 days until Partey’s deal runs out, which gives Berta a clear timeline if the Italian wants to indeed ensure the former Atletico Madrid man stays in London for at least another 12 months.
Arsenal are already bringing in Martin Zubimendi this summer, football.london understands, with a medical just left to complete before a deal can be confirmed. Zubimendi was always a target, though, so the club may well need to dip into the transfer market once again if Partey does indeed decide to seek pastures new.
When asked about his future last week, Partey told 3 Sports: “I think the first thing is where are you happy and where do you feel at home. At the end of the day you’ve been in football, you’ve been 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 where you have to look now with a family, where you want them to be happy. When you go out nobody is going to destroy your family, these are things you have to look at. When you are young you just anywhere. I’m an Arsenal fan, I can’t decide anything and just have to leave it to may agent and the club. Me, I just want to enjoy football.”
The next 11 days really are crucial for Berta and Arteta. Arsenal’s transfer strategy may well need to be altered if Partey does indeed decide to leave.
