Mikel Arteta speaks out on Thomas Partey's Arsenal future (2025)

Mikel Arteta has sent a clear message to Arsenal transfer chief Andrea Berta over Thomas Partey’s expiring contract.

The experienced midfielder is coming towards the end of his deal and with no sign of progress being made over an extension he is free to negotiate with other clubs.

After appearing to have overcome the injury issues which have plagued him over the course of his Gunners career, Arteta would be loathe to lose a player who has been pivotal to the progress his side have made in recent years.

Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are both understood to have registered an interest in the player, but Arteta insists it is not a forgone conclusion that Partey will leave on a free come the summer.

Asked whether there had been any progress in talks over a new deal, Arteta said on Friday: ‘Yes, there is progress with all the players. I’ll leave that to [sporting director] Andrea [Berta] and the club to decide and to talk about.”

Pushed on whether the intention is to keep Partey, Arteta continued: ‘The intention is very clear. I’ll leave that to Andrea and the club to take a step forward.’

The yellow card Partey picked up during the closing stages of Wednesday’s win over Real Madrid, meanwhile, represented the one blemish on an otherwise momentous evening for Arsenal.

Arteta will now be without one his midfield linchpins for the first leg of their semi final against PSG but he is adamant he will have enough options to compensate for the loss of such an influential player.

‘We have a few options and we’re not going to give anything away,’ he said. ‘It was a night for the club that was great and that’s it.

‘The best ones are still ahead and to come. We all have a big ambition and big objectives and we are in the right direction. But the next steps are going to be tough and we’re going to have to be at our best.’

On how Arsenal might practice without Partey in the next two games without giving away to PSG what hemight do, Arteta added: ‘As always, a balance.

How Arsenal could line-up vs PSG without Thomas Partey?

‘Understanding what the priorities are. The priority is one or is it another? And then as well, making sure that players are comfortable and feeling the position that they have to play such a big match. But as I said, the priority now is to win games in the Premier League.’

Asked, meanwhile, if Myles Lewis-Skelly, outstanding again at left-back at the Bernabeu, could be pushed into his favoured midfield role, he said: ‘It would be down to the availability of players in that moment. So who is available, who is able as well to do that.

‘For how long in-game, because that’s where we had players that they could not play 90 minutes. So once we are closer to that game, we can decide.’

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