{"id":625107,"date":"2023-07-26T01:30:19","date_gmt":"2023-07-26T05:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=625107"},"modified":"2023-07-26T07:54:12","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T11:54:12","slug":"thomas-partey-uncertain-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/07\/26\/thomas-partey-uncertain-future\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I Expect\u2019: Mikel Arteta Wants to Retain \u2018Outstanding\u2019 Star for Arsenal Amid Interest From Saudi Clubs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Thomas Partey\u2019s time at the Emirates could be coming to an end with Juventus and a myriad of Saudi clubs circling the 30-year-old Ghanaian international as reported by\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1671859122034147328\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fabrizio Romano<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. What is clear is with the signings of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, Partey\u2019s position in Arsenal\u2019s midfield has never looked less tenable.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=&#8221;soe\/arsenal&#8221; size=&#8221;350&#215;300&#8243; site_id=&#8221;metabet-website&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Thomas Partey Linked With Move to Saudi Arabia<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Thomas Partey Uncertain Future<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Partey is the latest in a long line of Premier League superstars being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia as reported by\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FabrizioRomano\/status\/1672601709980286976?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fabrizio Romano<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. Mikel Arteta\u2019s decision to break the bank for Declan Rice as well as Partey\u2019s recent omission from the staring line-up against Man United in their pre-season friendly contradicts Arteta\u2019s recent defence of how important Partey is going to be for Arsenal in the forthcoming season as reported by\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skysports.com\/football\/news\/11670\/12925322\/mikel-arteta-says-he-wants-thomas-partey-to-stay-at-arsenal-despite-arrival-of-declan-rice-from-west-ham#:~:text=Speaking%20ahead%20of%20Saturday&#039;s%20pre,to%20be%20in%20the%20team.\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Sky Sports<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Promising Beginnings<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Cast your mind back to the excitement surrounding Partey&#8217;s signing for Arsenal on deadline day of the 2020 summer transfer window. It was the first window Arteta had overseen and the midfielder was the new manager\u2019s landmark signing, getting the Champions League finalist and widely renowned holding midfielder for <\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a345 million<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">: <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/07\/07\/alessia-russo-game-changer-arsenal\/\" target=\"_self\">Alessia Russo Can Be a Game-Changer for Arsenal \u2013 And England<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, his first season was not plain sailing only featuring in 24 premier league matches with\u00a0<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">constant niggles plaguing his season<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. What was certain was that he was crucial for Arteta, famously being forced to play prematurely against North London rivals Spurs and having to hobble over to the sidelines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Watch:\u00a0<\/strong>Is Declan Rice worth the money for Arsenal?<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Declan Rice to Arsenal Confirmed! Is He Worth It?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/izb8Fs07XGY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">How the 2022\/23 Season Began<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Arsenal\u2019s second-place finish in the 2022\/23 Premier League campaign was their highest finish since 2016 and Partey\u2019s role began as crucial as ever. However, when Arsenal found themselves seven points clear at the start of the January transfer window, Arteta knew that to have any chance of competing with <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/07\/21\/kyle-walker-bayern-munich-manchester-city\/\" target=\"_self\">Manchester City<\/a>, he needed backup for the injury-prone holding midfielder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Jorginho<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Arsenal signed the experienced Jorginho from Chelsea. As expected he did not start a Premier League game until the inevitable Partey niggle struck and the Italian international was brought in for the very moment he was signed for. The holding midfielder was the hero at Villa Park keeping Arsenal\u2019s title bid alive seeing his long-range shot deflected in off former Arsenal goalkeeper Emi Martinez in injury time. Partey returned just a few games later but for the first time in his Arsenal career, he looked fragile and sloppy on the ball. His calm and composed Rolls Royce-like presence had disappeared and been replaced with an uncertainty that had seldom been seen in his career.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"iUvKQKgFQz1uUrTz-ZOUrw\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1541432667\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'iUvKQKgFQz1uUrTz-ZOUrw',sig:'IPHCDrIFBDyMxZJTodgwiqkmfRHWnwUfuRpkcmpSXFg=',w:'594px',h:'445px',items:'1541432667',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">What&#8217;s Next for Thomas Partey?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Rotation will certainly be key to any Arsenal success next season with the Champions League being back on the Gunners\u2019 calendar but keeping Rice, Jorginho and Partey all happy will seemingly be a challenge for Arteta\u2019s man-management skills. Despite the juggling act to keep all players happy, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/07\/22\/thomas-partey-importance-to-arsenal-mikel-arteta\/\" target=\"_self\">Arteta has spoken out regarding his desire to keep Partey<\/a>. \u201cI expect Thomas Partey to stay here. Every time I spoke to him and had a conversation with him, he\u2019s ready to stay with us.\u201d The Arsenal manager added: \u201cFor me, there\u2019s nothing there at all.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><strong>Read More<\/strong>:\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/07\/16\/arsenal-folarin-balogun-exit\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fabrizio Romano Gives Arsenal Transfer Update as \u2018Special\u2019 Emirates Star Closes in on Move to European Giants<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It is unclear which jersey Partey will be wearing when the first game of next season comes around, what is certain is that the Ghanaian midfielder, previously described as &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/onefootball.com\/en\/news\/roy-keane-showers-praise-on-arsenal-midfielder-thomas-partey-31626540\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">outstanding<\/a>&#8221; will have lots of suiters and such a talented midfielder will surely be missed at the Emirates if he does end up leaving this summer.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/pahudson\/12866747625\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paul Hudson on Flickr<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CC BY 2.0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thomas Partey\u2019s time at the Emirates could be coming to an end with Juventus and a myriad of Saudi clubs circling the 30-year-old Ghanaian international as reported by\u00a0Fabrizio Romano. What is clear is with the signings of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, Partey\u2019s position in Arsenal\u2019s midfield has never looked less tenable. [metabet_core_side_odds_tile query=&#8221;soe\/arsenal&#8221; size=&#8221;350&#215;300&#8243; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4704,"featured_media":624866,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,3,7188,28],"tags":[3190,4372,3276],"class_list":["post-625107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arsenal","category-premier-league","category-rumours","category-transfers","tag-arsenal-transfer-news","tag-mikel-arteta","tag-thomas-partey"],"modified_by":"Ricky Carroll, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4704"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=625107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/624866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=625107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=625107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=625107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}