Mikel Arteta reveals he wants Thomas Partey to stay at Arsenal | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta has revealed he wants Thomas Partey to stay at Arsenal beyond the expiration of his contract.

Partey’s contract at the Gunners is set to expire this summer, with talks understood to have begun with the Ghanian’s representatives over extending his contract. The 31-year-old has been one of Arsenal’s best players as they head towards a third season in succession as Premier League runners-up.

Fellow out of contract stars Jorginho and Kieran Tierney are expected to depart the north Londoners this summer, with the game against Southampton set to be their final matches for the club.

As for Partey, who has played 50 games this season for Arteta’s side so far this season, he has been linked with a return to former club Atletico Madrid, who he left to join Arsenal in 2020, and a host of clubs in Saudi Arabia have reportedly shown an interest.

Arteta has hinted in the past that the “intention is very clear” when asked about giving Partey a new contract, but today was the first real acknowledgement that the 43-year-old wants his midfield star to remain at the club.

“There’s some question marks on a few of them,” Arteta said. “So we’ll have to wait and see. We still have another Premier League match to play on Sunday and after that we have some time to sit down and finalise a few things that have to be done.

“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.

“I’ve said it many times now (wanting him to stay).”

Jurrien Timber and William Saliba have both been ruled out of the final match of the season through hamstring and ankle injuries respectively, with Timber requiring surgery.