Thomas Partey is set to leave Arsenal at the end of his contract and this is the right decision by the club
Partey is set to depart the Emirates | Shaun Botterill/GettyImages
Thomas Partey is now set to leave Arsenal at the end of his contract and while his presence will be missed in the side, it is the right decision.
The Gunners had been in negotiations with the Ghanaian over a new deal for a lengthy period and despite talks initially progressing to an advanced stage, they stalled and an agreement on fresh terms couldn’t be reached.
The midfielder has been a key part of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal setup over the past years despite frequent fitness issues, but allowing him to leave at the end of his contract is the right decision by the club and there are three reasons why.
1. Zubimendi’s arrival
Zubimendi will be the new holding midfielder | Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/GettyImages
Rather frustratingly, Martin Zubimendi’s move to Arsenal is still yet to be officially announced despite rumours of an agreement stretching back as far as January, but every Tom, Dick and Harry knows he will be playing his football in north London next season. His arrival would have had an impact on Thomas Partey’s status in the the capital.
Since first signing in 2020, the Ghana international has been the main face at the base of the Gunners’ midfield when fit and available. However, with his Spanish counterpart joining the squad, he would have been demoted from this role to play as a mere backup.
Of course, Partey would have still been a valued member of the squad and would have been regularly called upon, but it makes sense to prioritise Zubimendi as the number one number six option. The Ghanaian would have been too good to play second fiddle, but wouldn’t have been good enough to depose the Spaniard.
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2. Age and fitness
Partey’s fitness has been unreliable | James Gill – Danehouse/GettyImages
Partey may have been consistent with his performances for Arsenal, but he was not so constant when it came to his fitness. During his five seasons at the club, he missed 79 games with injury (including international games in those periods), a considerable amount for a player who was relied on for good performances.
While his availability was far better during last season, playing 52 times across all competitions, it’s unlikely that would have remained the same going into the new campaign. Partey has recently turned 32 and as he ages, his fitness is likely to slowly deteriorate.
Tying him down to a new contract when his fitness and availability was likely to go downhill would not have been smart. Arsenal wouldn’t have wanted to be paying out for a player who may not have been available for enough of the season and so it made sense to let him leave.
3. Wage demands
Partey wanted a wage rise | Visionhaus/GettyImages
As negotiations over a new deal for Partey dragged on, reports began to emerge he was refusing to lower his wage demands and in fact wanted a pay rise if he was to put pen to paper.
That was something Arsenal were not willing to facilitate as they were only going to offer a continuation of his current £200,000 salary. That ended up being a key factor in talks breaking down and not coming to an agreement.
It’s hard to disagree with Arsenal not wanting to pay Partey more than he already earns. He was set to be a backup next season and potentially an unreliable one for fitness, meaning they would’ve been paying out a hefty chunk of money for a player who may not have deserved it.