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Thomas Partey’s chance at redemption could alter Arsenal’s summer plans

By Daniel on February 29, 2024

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal’s plans to sign a new midfielder may be postponed after giving Thomas Partey a chance to prove himself during the closing weeks of the season.

This season, Arteta’s key midfield combination has included Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard. This midfield trio has been decent, but it has not been as effective as the Partey-Xhaka-Odegaard midfield last season.

Rice has done an outstanding job replacing Partey, but Havertz, for all his abilities, has not provided the same amount of support as Xhaka in Arsenal’s engine room. Odegaard originally struggled without Xhaka, but he has found his footing again.

Partey’s prolonged injury absence, with only four league games under his belt, has also made it difficult to test a Partey-Rice-Odegaard midfield, which has been touted as capable of replicating Arsenal’s midfield brilliance in 2022–23.

The main issue with Arsenal’s midfield is that they miss what Xhaka used to offer. This has led to speculation that the Gunners should consider recruiting a top midfielder to play with Odegaard and Rice next year.

Football Transfers says that Arsenal are showing a keen interest in signing Martin Zubimendi. The Real Sociedad star has a £51m release clause and the Gunners are ready to battle it out with Liverpool over his signature. Douglas Luiz and Amadou Onana are other reported targets.

Thomas Partey given a second chance

However, as fans speculate over which of these midfielders should be signed, Football Transfers has dropped an interesting update on Arsenal’s midfield plans. They claim Partey, who is due to return from injury, will be given the opportunity to redeem himself.

They suggest that if the Ghanaian can stay fit until the end of the season, he will be able to save his Arsenal career, with Mikel Arteta ready to open talks over a contract extension. His current deals ends in 2025.

If the £45 million 2020 recruit has his contract extended, Football Transfers adds, the club will ditch plans to recruit a top midfielder and focus on signing a winger and striker in the summer.

Arteta opting not to sign another midfielder, as suggested above, could suggest he thinks Partey, Rice, and Odegaard will make a formidable midfield force next season.

That said, not recruiting a midfielder will leave Arsenal at risk of being short of numbers if Partey breaks down again. The 30-year-old has struggled to stay fit since arriving from Atletico Madrid, so it would be a major risk to rely on him next year.