Thomas Partey’s future at Arsenal remains up in the air, with the Ghana international set to leave the club when his contract ends on June 30.
Mikel Arteta has insisted that he wants the midfielder to stay but negotiations have been slow and, as of yet, no extension has been agreed. It means the Gunners face losing two senior midfielders from the 2024/25 season, with Jorginho already having left to join Flamengo.
Martin Zubimendi is expected to join from Real Sociedad, potentially next week, with Arsenal agreeing to pay the La Liga side a fee of around £55million. football.london understands a deal is all but complete, with only a medical left to sort out.
It’s also understood Arsenal have made a move for Brentford captain Christian Norgaard, with the north Londoners making a bid worth €11million (£9.3million) on Wednesday. While an agreement has not yet been reached, there is confidence it will be struck.
Norgaard has been admired by Arsenal for at least two years and at the age of 31 will bring additional experience to the Gunners midfield. Whether the Dane arrives as a replacement for Partey remains to be seen, but with pre-season just around the corner, the 32-year-old is already preparing for the new campaign, wherever that may be.
The Ghanaian shared a picture of himself in the gym on Instagram on Thursday morning, with Arsenal teammates William Saliba and Jurrien Timber also in the snap. Accompanied by a thumbs up emoji, Timber can be seen doing leg exercises while Partey and Saliba pose for the photo.
In another picture, shared by Gabriel Magalhaes on his Instagram account, Partey and the defender pose for a selfie while what looks to be in the same gym. “My guy [love heart emoji],” Gabriel wrote.
With Partey working hard with Gabriel, Saliba and Timber, compounded with Gabriel’s two-word message to the midfielder on social media, it could be seen as a hint that the former Atletico Madrid man may yet extend his stay at Emirates Stadium. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, though, and you would think we will have clarity on the matter in the coming days.
