No significant progress has been made on a new contract for Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, it has been claimed. The 31-year-old has just over six months to run on his current deal in north London and is free to talk to non-British clubs over signing a pre-contract agreement in January.
Partey, who signed a five-year contract with the Gunners following his £45million move from Atletico Madrid in 2020, is a free agent next summer but could have his own future resolved in a matter of weeks. Inter Milan and Juventus are among those that have been linked with a move for Partey.
And now, according to the Daily Mail, it has been reported that Partey's Arsenal future is uncertain with no notable progress made on him securing a new deal. It's added that there is no major urgency at the Gunners to nail down Partey's future and commit to fresh terms despite his re-emergence into form this season.
The fact Arsenal are in the market for a new central midfielder and have started to identify targets suggest that Partey could leave the Emirates at the end of the season. It could mean that two senior Arsenal midfielders are set to depart with Jorginho's deal also expiring next summer.
As for Partey, he has been one of Arsenal's best players this season. The Ghanaian has enjoyed somewhat of a revival under Mikel Arteta after struggling with injuries in recent years. In fact, Partey has already played more games this season (21) than he did during the entire of last campaign (16).
He has started in 12 of their 14 Premier League matches, scoring twice and has all-but been a mainstay in their Champions League XI. Partey played 90 minutes at right-back for the Gunners during their 3-0 win over Monaco on Wednesday and has been able to slot into that position when required.
Partey reportedly is one of Arsenal's biggest earners with a pay packet of around £200,000 per-week, with Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard among those ahead of him.
Speaking about Partey's future in November, Arteta said: "We will have the right time to discuss about the situation. He is showing consistency at the highest level, again because his availability and the way that he feels physically is allowing him to do that, and I am very pleased with that."