Thomas Partey drops new hint over Arsenal future amid Barcelona links and Martin Zubimendi deal

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Evening Standard

·11 June 2025

Thomas Partey drops new hint over Arsenal future amid Barcelona links and Martin Zubimendi deal

Gunners midfielder will see his current contract expire at the end of June and has yet to agree an extension

Thomas Partey has spoken on his Arsenal future with the midfielder yet to sign a new contract.

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The Ghanaian’s current deal expires at the end of June, and the Gunners confirmed in their recent retained list that they were in discussions over fresh terms.

However, questions have been raised about whether Partey will stay at Arsenal amid rumoured interest from Barcelona, especially with the expected arrival of Martin Zubimendi.

Zubimendi is expected to move to north London after starring for Real Sociedad, as well as deputising for the Spanish national team in Rodri’s absence.

Arsenal will pay a reported £51million to secure Zubimendi’s signature, and their willingness to spend that kind of money on a holding midfielder only casts further doubt over Partey’s long-term future at the club.

Speaking on international duty with Ghana this week, Partey was reluctant to give away any new details over his future, but admitted that he was “not getting younger”.

“The first thing is where you are happy and where you feel at home,” he told 3Sports.

Key player: Partey was an important figure for Arsenal during an injury-free campaign

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“At the end of the day you’ve been in football, you’ve been in different teams. Then it’s about what is your next objective and what do you want to achieve next.

“You still have to look at all this and at the end of the day we all have a family that needs money, this is [in] our mind.

“We are not getting younger. There are a lot of things where you have to look now with a family, where you want them to be happy.

“When you go out, nobody is going to destroy your family, these are things you have to look at. When you are young, you are just anywhere.

“I’m an Arsenal fan, I can’t decide anything and just have to leave it to my agent and the club. I just want to enjoy football.”

Partey played 52 games across all competitions this season as Arsenal finished second in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. He scored four league goals and had two assists.