Arsenal face a number of transfer decisions with one of those undoubtedly surrounding Thomas Partey. The Ghana international was expected to depart Emirates Stadium last summer with only 12 months remaining on his contract, but to the surprise of many, he ended up staying.
Mikel Arteta and former sporting director Edu had been rather proactive over contract extensions but there was minimal movement regarding Partey despite his strong 2024/25 season. Things drastically changed in April however, when it came to light that the club were more open to him staying.
Active talks are now taking place, with a chance Partey could remain in north London. Nonetheless, nothing has been officially agreed and at 31, it is highly unlikely anything more than a two-year extension is placed on the table especially after his challenging night at the Parc Des Princes.
As such, Arsenal will still need to sign a defensive midfielder in the coming years and it is expected to take place as early as this summer. A deal for Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi to join is in a good place but with Jorginho set to join Flamengo, further midfield reinforcements are needed.
There are a number of options on the market with Joao Palhinha, a previous Gunners transfer target, potentially perfect for a number of reasons.
After joining Bayern Munich from Fulham in a £47million deal, six months on from seeing that same move fall apart, the Portugal international looked set to anchor the Bavarian giants midfield for the foreseeable, but that has not transpired in the slightest.
Having played just 934 minutes during his first season in Germany, he has been labelled a ‘flop’ by German media and placed in the worst ten signings of the Bundesliga season in their brutal report. Though he has struggled in the German tip flight, his bright displays for Fulham shows he can cut it in the Premier League.
At 29, he is not exactly the perfect profile but there is certainly an opportunity there. With Bayern clearly not pleased by his performances, he could be sold for far less than the £47million paid to Fulham.
Before considering taking a fresh interest in Palhinha, Arsenal must make a final decision on Partey's future. There is also the Zubimendi factor with it looking very likely the Spaniard finally departs his boyhood club.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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