Ghanaian international Thomas Partey has been an integral part of Arsenal under Mikel Arteta with the 31-year-old having anchored the Gunners midfield for four years and has seen his team grow into an unstoppable force in the Premier League.
With his contract running due next summer, the Gunners are open to losing his services this summer, per the Times, and he has been on the transfer list at London Colney for the past couple of summer transfer windows. However, the North London side haven’t received a strong offer for his signatures. There have been Saudi Arabian clubs looking to sign the Ghanaian but any of them are yet to make an attractive enough proposal for Gunners to consider selling. And hence, the African honcho is still plying trade in the Premier League with a title contending side.
THOMAS PARTEY & HIS INJURY PROBLEMS
To put things into context, he hasn’t been the same on physical note since he left Atletico Madrid to join Arsenal four years back. And his deflation on the physical side of things was clearly visible in Arsenal’s opening fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend. To highlight, his huge error in the second half almost had the ball in Raya’s net if Rayan Ait-Nouri pinged it the right way.
Although we won the opening match of the 2024/25 PL season, it’s about the small details and Partey made two costly mistakes complemented by giving away possession a few too many times. Credit where it’s due, he did create the second-most attacking chances in the first half, but he was nervy in defence. And the aura around his midfield performance is declining due to persistent injury problems.
He missed most of the games last season but Mikel has continued to stick with the midfielder when he has been out of the injury room which shows that the management at Colney still rates him highly. But let’s be honest, Partey has lost that touch and composure on the ball. He is losing more duels and is not at his physical best to play in a Premier League competing side.
Peak Thomas Partey was a top 3 #6 in the world… but sadly, he’s never had sustained durability like Rodri. Now I fear his legs are failing and his outrageous ball security is evading him. He looks like he’s entered the physical collapse Auba went through after he signed a new… pic.twitter.com/hTQLCTodmf
— LE GROVE (@LeGrove) August 19, 2024
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The senior star has crumbled in pressure one-too-many times and the Gunners midfield doesn’t look secure with him as the lone number six. Arsenal have used Declan Rice in a similar position last season and Jorginho was given a part-time role. But in the previous season, Gabriel Jesus’ injury had a domino effect which caused Arteta to shift Kai Havertz in the striker position leaving a void in midfield.
While Partey has put in some exemplary performances in the past four years, Arsenal now need a tough and technical defensive midfielder who can run the show at the Emirates.
The supporters at the Emirates at signing out loud about the ambition to dethrone Manchester City and finally lift the Premier League title after two unsuccessful attempts, and now it’s about delivering six sigma output.
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DOES MIKEL MERINO SIGNING SIGNAL AN END TO PARTEY’S CAREER AT ARSENAL?
But there is a new name on the market that is making rounds and all for the right reason. Real Sociedad’s Mikel Merino is close to joining the English giants and the deal is advancing with every passing day. Both parties need to sort out minor contract details and it is expected that the Spanish star will unveiled as the new Arsenal signing this week.
Merino will not only provide experience but also more freedom and stability in the middle of the park. His ability to play both as a six and an eight is a huge bonus for Arteta. Although he is not a younger option, he will be a stop-gap signing that is capable to do the job right now while giving the raw players in the squad the time and space to adapt. This move will rejuvenate the Arsenal squad and help Rice contribute more in attack.
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With the Euro 2024 winner coming in, Partey’s chances appear limited from the outside. It will be in the best interest if the club allows the player to leave this summer rather than losing him for nothing next year.
However, with little interest, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal prefer to sell him. Meanwhile, it won’t hurt them either if they prefer to use him in see-off games and withdraw him early to prevent fatigue. Merino is a consistent player and is unlikely to be displaced from the starting XI.
