It feels like we are getting mixed messages around Thomas Partey right now.
Last week Arsenal published their released list. Mainly youth players (and for some reason players from the girls team), it also included Jorginho and Kieran Tierney, as well as confirming that Neto and Raheem Sterling’s loans were due to end. However one name was not on the initial list. Thomas Parety.
Alongside youth team defender Michal Rosiak and Chloe Kelly, Partey was on a second list of players where discussions are ongoing, and once matters are finalised between all parties, we will communicate in due course.
But then this week, the Premier League published the released players list that had been submitted to them. And on this list Partety was included.
What was a bit of a head scratcher is that Partey is on the list, but Rosiak was not.
Now we have had no news that Rosiak has signed a new deal. Everything points to him still being in discussions. So why was Partey included and not him?
Was it a clerical error? Or is it that talks have not gone well and one of the two parties have made it clear they have no intention of signing of a new contract.
Mikel Arteta would have banked on Partey staying before signing off on the Jorginho exit. Whilst the Brazilian’s contract was also due to expire, Arteta would not have wanted both of his defensive midfield options to depart.
If Partey was always slated to leave, then I am sure Jorginho, who has just married his English wife, would have easily have been persuaded to stay in London. Doing a short term loan deal with Flamengo to allow him to play in the Club World Cup would also have been a possibility.
Instead, Jorginho joined the Brazilian club and is returning to the country of his birth for the first time since leaving at 15 years old.
So what actually is happening with Partey?
It certainly felt that talks were close not too long ago, with Partey’s return to his top form this season cementing himself as the first choice defensive midfielder. And even with the incoming Martin Zubimendi, there was more than enough space for both of them.
Shortly after Arsenal published the released players list, posts were circulating on social media that Partey was considering pulling out of negotiations. The rumour was that Partey was “cautious” about signing a new deal
At 32 years old, and having played brilliantly this season, this contract could be his last big one. His retirement package.
It is likely that either the length of contract or salary offer from Arsenal is not as big as what he could get elsewhere. I imagine we would have been offering him a 2-year deal with an option for a 3rd at around £150k a week. He could get a longer term deal by moving back to Atletico Madrid, or more money by jumping on the Saudi gravy train.
This will leave Arteta with a headache if two defensive midfielders depart.
The plan would have been to have Zubimendi and Partey as the defensive options, and Declan Rice and Mikel Merino as options further forward. If Partey goes, either Rice becomes Zubimendi’s defensive cover, or we need to go into the market and buy a 2nd defensive midfielder. And that is an expenditure we perhaps did not budget for.
Throughout this blog, I have talked about Zubimendi as if it is a done deal. I believe it is.
We have been criticised by opposing fans and those boring Arsenal fans for “not completing a deal we were negotiating for in January”. My bet is all we were waiting for was the Nations League to be over.
Zubimendi’s Spain were in the final of the Nations League. The Spaniard went straight from club football into training camp for his country. He would not have had the time to fly to London, do his medical, undertake the marketing photoshoot, and prepare for playing for his country. It is right that Arsenal allowed him to focus on then Nations League.,
With the competition now over, Zubimendi will either sign today (the last day of the little transfer window), or we will see him sign on 16 June – when the window reopens. We will then use the next 6 days to get the medical done and paperwork in place ready for the announcement.
An alternate thinking is that neither Real Sociedad do not have any UEFA FFP concerns for 2024/25 and would prefer the deal to go into 2025/26 where the huge lump sum profit could be used without issues. Likewise it might suit Arsenal for the deal to not hit our 2024/25 PSR reporting year, and instead go into next.
I would not be surprised if their is an announcement today, or very shortly after.
Back to Partey, his contract does not expire until 30 June. We have plenty of time to try and get a deal done.
At £250k a week, he is one of Arsenal’s highest paid players. If he departs we would then have £22m a year to play with (his wage and amortised transfer fee). That would free us up to sign a replacement for £50m and pay them £150k a week and still save money. However we would still need to find the initial £50m.
I am sure the preference will still be for Partey to sign on lower wages.
£150k a week means the club are spending around £8m a year on him, and his initial transfer fee will be fully amortised. That would then be £14m a year saving on our accounts, and £14m a year we can spend elsewhere without having to increase our outgoings.
And in the most simplistic of terms, signing Zubimendi and keeping Partey costs us less than having Jorginho and Partey on our books.
Enjoy your Tuesday.
Keenos