One player who has been on the fringes at Arsenal this season has now made a defiant statement about his future at the club.
There are likely to be a number of departures from Arsenal this summer.
Cedric Soares is already set to leave as a free agent upon the expiry of his contract, and Mohamed Elneny is likely to follow suit. Arsenal are also aware that Aaron Ramsdale is almost certain to depart this summer.
On top of that, Arsenal are open to offers on three of their Hale End academy graduates, namely Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson, and Eddie Nketiah. However, Smith Rowe may have shown Arteta that he still has a long-term future at Arsenal with his impressive performance against Luton Town on Wednesday evening.
Thomas Partey makes statement after return to action for Arsenal v Luton
Thomas Partey also made a long-awaited return to the Arsenal starting XI against the Hatters. The Ghanaian was starting his first Premier League match since August, as his season has been decimated by injury.
Fitness issues have been a recurring problem for the 30-year-old over the last couple of seasons, leading to speculation that Arsenal are now preparing for life without Partey and are planning to move him on this summer.
Partey has now had his say on what his future holds. As quoted by journalist Chris Wheatley, the £45 million former Atletico Madrid man said, “this is where I choose to play, I’m really happy every time I’m on the field. I know a lot of speculations have been going on, but for me, I’m really happy to be here and to continue playing for this club.”
What should Arsenal do with Thomas Partey this summer?
Whilst the player is clearly firm in where he wants to be playing his football, that does not mean he will still be in Mikel Arteta’s plans by the time the summer transfer window opens.
For a start, the repeat injuries that he has suffered may well have taken a permanent toll on his body. Many Arsenal fans now feel that Partey lacks some of the physicality which once made him such a dominant presence in the middle of the park.
Then, the high likelihood that he will suffer further injuries in the future makes it impossible for Arteta to rely upon the player to be fit and available when needed.
Arsenal would be wise to move Partey on this summer and reinvest in a player who is more likely to be able to play a regular role in the side next season.