Mikel Arteta has said that he wants Thomas Partey to remain at Arsenal beyond the end of his current contract, explaining that the midfielder has experienced his best season since arriving at the club.
FootballTransfers revealed in an exclusive story earlier this week that Partey, along with Leandro Trossard, has not given Arsenal the green light in contract negotiations.
A source close to the deal stated that there is an agreement on the table that is likely to be signed, and that all parties are relatively relaxed over the situation at present. Barcelona had been interested in signing him.
Now Arteta has broken his silence on the future of the Ghana international star, explaining that he hopes Partey will put pen to paper soon after an exceptional campaign.
“In regards to Thomas, consistency-wise, it’s been his best season. I think the way he’s played, performed, his availability has been exceptional and he’s a really important player for us,” Arteta is quoted by The Telegraph when asked if Partey wants to remain at the club.
Arteta already has two midfield deals lined up for the summer, with Jorginho poised to leave for Flamengo while Martin Zubimendi will arrive from Real Sociedad in a deal worth around €60m.
Arteta responds to Rodrygo transfer question
The Spaniard also outlined Arsenal’s plans for the transfer market and appeared to suggest that there will be no holding back when it comes to chasing world-class players.
He was asked about a possible approach for Real Madrid winger Rodrygo and did not deny interest.
“If you want to win major trophies, you have to be the best in the market, no?” Arteta said. “The teams that win have the best players – always, always – at this level.”
Arsenal are expected to pursue a deal for a centre forward and a winger over the summer months as they seek the magic formula to become Premier League champions after several years of flirting with the title under Arteta.
Football transfer news headlines today
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
