Thomas Partey makes final decision on Arsenal exit with just one day left on current contract

Thomas Partey is poised to leave Arsenal after the club failed to come to an agreement over a new contract for the midfielder. The Gunners had been keen to keep Partey, but he will now depart when his contract expires on Tuesday.

Mikel Arteta spoke publicly about his desire to keep the 32-year-old, who played a key role in the 2024/25 campaign. But negotiations have dragged on and on and, with his current deal expiring on June 30, they have finally decided to call it quits.

Arsenal first opened talks over an extension in April, but have already plugged the gap he is about to leave. Martin Zubimendi is joining in a £51million transfer from Real Sociedad next month and the Gunners have also bid £9.3m for Brentford captain Christian Norgaard after Jorginho also departed on a free transfer for Flamengo.

Partey has been free to speak to foreign clubs since January and has been linked with a move to Fenerbahce, who are managed by Jose Mourinho, and has been offered a big-money contract in the Saudi Pro League. He has been with Arsenal since 2020, when he arrived from Atletico Madrid for £45m, and has made 167 appearances across all competitions.

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Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta, who used to work at Partey’s old club Atleti, was the man tasked with agreeing new terms for Partey. But the club have now decided to walk away from the negotiating table.

Asked in April whether there had been progress over a new deal for Partey, Arteta said: "Yes, there is progress with all the players. I'll leave that to Andrea and the club to decide and to talk about."

Pushed on whether the intention is to keep Partey, he added: "The intention is very clear. I'll leave that to Andrea and the club to take a step forward."

Arsenal’s move for Zubimendi has been delayed because Real Sociedad want to bank the transfer fee in the new football financial year, which begins on July 1. The Gunners spent a long time negotiating with the Spanish side in order to secure a favourable deal in terms of spreading out the cost.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are still looking to sign a centre-forward in the summer transfer window, with RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko the preference ahead of Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres. Arteta also wants to bolster his options in the wide positions, with Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze on the radar, along with Real Madrid’s Rodrygo.

They are closing in on a deal for Valencia defender Cristhian Mosquera, although their opening offer was dejected by the Spanish side. But a £5m deal for Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga will go through soon.

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