LONDON – Thomas Partey has decided his time at Arsenal is coming to an end. The midfielder, whose contract expires this summer, will leave the club as a free agent after five years in north London.
Partey, 31, joined Arsenal from Atlético Madrid in 2020 for £50 million. Since then, he’s been a key figure in Mikel Arteta’s evolving team -sometimes dominant, sometimes sidelined by injury, but always at the heart of the club’s midfield plans.
But after months of uncertainty over his future, the Ghana international has made up his mind.
“I think the first thing is where are you happy and where do you feel at home,” Partey told Ghana’s 3 Sports. “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.”
Reports from GhanaSoccerNet suggest contract talks between Partey and Arsenal have broken down. The club had hoped to keep him, but a deal could not be agreed.
His departure appears to come at a time of transition. Arsenal are close to signing Martín Zubimendi from Real Sociedad – a move that may have influenced Partey’s thinking.
“You have to look now, with a family, where you want them to be happy. When you’re young, you just go anywhere. But we’re not getting younger,” Partey said, hinting at his desire for stability and a new challenge.
While he says he still considers himself an Arsenal fan, Partey admitted the decision is now out of his hands:
“I can’t decide anything. I just have to leave it to my agent and the club. Me, I just want to enjoy football.”
Last season was arguably his strongest in an Arsenal shirt. For once, Partey avoided the kind of injuries that had disrupted previous campaigns. He was available throughout, a fact he said allowed him to show his full ability.
“I feel happy in me, every year – injury or no injury – I have given my best,” he said.
He also dismissed any suggestion that his commitment ever wavered:
“Sometimes it may go bad, but every game I go all out and try to give my best.”
Partey’s exit, along with rumours surrounding the future of other senior players like Oleksandr Zinchenko, signals a reshaping of Arteta’s squad as they prepare for another title push. With Zubimendi likely to come in, Arsenal appear to be planning for the future.
But for Partey, the next chapter is wide open -and, by all accounts, he’s ready to turn the page.
