One of the biggest headlines coming from England has been that of Thomas Partey’s reported exit from Arsenal.
The London club is said to be looking to ‘refresh’ its midfield and the Ghana international is reportedly offered for sale, which has attracted sizeable interest.
At 30, Partey is at his prime, and the fact that he has played regularly for Arsenal, when fit, makes him a desirable player for any ambitious team. It doesn’t make sense why Arsenal would want to release him, especially at a time when the Gunners are expected to let go of another midfield cog in Granit Xhaka.
The news of Partey’s availability in the summer has elicited interest from the gulf and Europe in equal measure with the midfielder valued at about $50m. His representatives are said to have engineered this process though a solid stance from Arsenal should have quelled the advances.
Two years to run
Thomas Partey still has two years to run on his deal but reports have it that there hasn’t been much progress with talks of a renewal. The player himself has not spoken much about this but is said to favor a move away from England.
With Saudi Arabia investing heavily in their top leagues and diversifying the economy towards the entertainment and hospitality industry, Partey has attracted interest from three clubs in the gulf. Juventus is also reportedly interested.
Top players making moves to Saudi Arabia, will most certainly be of interest to bookies, and a summary of such in the form of previews on SportyTrader will give you the original football tips and predictions to unlock your winning potential. However, with Arsenal looking to build on a fairly good campaign last season, it sounds like releasing Partey is a mistake.
It is definitely a case of trying to raise funds to invest in a younger midfield but Partey’s experience seems something Arsenal would do with on their Champions League return. Arsenal for some time now have been interested in Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice, two very high-profile midfielders. While getting these two can bolster Arsenal’s midfield, neither can match Partey’s experience.
Champions League experience
Having no Champions League experience pushes their rating further down. For Arsenal, releasing Xhaka and Partey in the same transfer window seems like a decision that might explode on their face.
It is not a route towards development after a good season, and the fact that they are now being rivaled strongly for Caicedo and Rice further complicates the situation. Rice has relative experience playing in Europe; he led West Ham United to winning the Europa Conference League and has also played in the Europa League. That, and the fact he is a regular for England keeps his profile high, and that is why teams like Manchester City are also in for him. It is unlikely that Arsenal will go into a bidding war with the European champions.
As for Caicedo, Arsenal aren’t the only admirers. After a failed bid in January, the Ecuadorian signed a new deal with Brighton. Chelsea and Manchester United are in for his signature as well, and he will thus cost much higher than what Arsenal tried to offer then.
Arsenal aren’t immune to transfer mistakes, and it will be trickier for them now that Champions League football is one of the biggest baits they have. They may well miss out on both prime targets Caicedo and Rice, which is the reason selling Partey may be a huge mistake.
