Will Arsenal Reward Thomas Partey with a New Contract?

Big up all the Arsenal fans out there. I have one question for you guys and I'd love to know your thoughts because I am kind of toing and froing with it if it makes sense. Should Thomas Partey be given a new contract by Arsenal? Now I know even just asking that question to you listening out there, you've either said hell yes, hell no, this, that and the other and this is why I want to know your thoughts because it opens up debate people. Now if we get into the Thomas Partey stuff, I must admit and I've been saying it since the first day of the season on, I don't think he's personally been getting enough flowers at Arsenal. I think a lot of the talk was around Moreno coming in and him and Declan Rice and it still could be the first choice midfield partnership and Moreno's going to change our world and even with Moreno there's been extreme opinions. It's gone from that to he's not good enough to everybody loves him again against Liverpool. A bit like Declan Rice, shows how fickle things are. But in relation to Thomas Partey, I don't think he's got his flowers this season. I think he's been quality this year. Even in games where we weren't good enough, like Aston Villa, everybody was terrible but I think he was the best of a bad bunch in the midfield in that game really. I think Partey's been quality and Mikel Arteta said, you know, I don't know how true it is, but he did say Partey's been doing different things in his personal life. Maybe being a dad now, you know, London, especially London when you've got money, probably got everything to offer. I don't know if that's anything to do with his rehabilitation, with how he trains, with, you know, nutrition, but whenever Partey gets, and we all know Partey's one of those weird, not weird ones, but the weird ones where he's not a man that can just come back from an injury and it's like he never left. A bit exaggeration, but a bit like Bakayo Saka, he kind of needs to have a consistent run to really show his stuff. So there has to be something with his availability in these nine games, you know, us getting results. Yes, we've stumbled, but getting results and showing his quality because for me, he's got a unique profile. Now, the first option, you know, as I said, let's start there. He's got a unique profile. You know, I think Mikel Moreno can do a bit of everything. I think he can pass the ball, you know, do everything. I think Declan Rice is more at home in the six. I think Declan Rice is okay on the ball, can improve, doing well traditionally in that eight role, but you don't, how much blood can you draw from a stone? He's hardly Cesc Fabregas, Santi Cozola, Frank Lampard, Gerrard. It's not him. He's come to Arsenal in his mid-twenties off the back of being West Ham captain, conference league winner, multiple England international, of being a box-to-box ball-winning midfielder. Anything he does beyond that is a bonus. Now he has got better in the final third. I think Declan Rice in the middle third and, you know, and all of that kind of stuff. But no matter how much he improves, is he ever going to be that? Yeah, if you want to do the multifunctional thing, I'm here for that. And big up Moreno, you know, but with Jorginho and Partey leaving, which one people would you rather keep? Is it Jorginho? Is it Partey? Do both leave? Do none leave? Because there's everything at this moment in time is on paper. Jorginho's come out and, you know, once again, spoken about his coaching aspirations. He's clearly not a regular in the team, but a valued squad member. I think there's a good chance, personally, he joins Mikel Arteta's coaching staff. When you look at Partey, you know, the first option, and I don't know who, would just be find a younger model out there, probably splash the bag. Bearing in mind, we only got Partey for 45 million because of the contract, the release clause, which we played a game that summer. So how much are we really going to invest in finding a midfielder? Granted, I don't know who, but in theory, if you do your scouting, you could find a midfielder that replaces Partey that doesn't necessarily break the bank. But to us, quote-unquote, ignorant football fans, it feels like you need to find someone in that regards and splash the money. So is it cheaper to keep Partey, especially if he stays fit? Is it cheaper to let him go? And also, there is another side where, you know, he gets back to those injuries and he's not playing like this, people. It's that age-old thing, really, isn't it, people, of, you know, a player in the last year of their deals, they're playing and performing out of their skin. This is a man nicknamed the Octopus, someone that, you know, Mikel Arteta must be frustrated with the injuries historically and also Tomiyasu, but he's never not talked up Thomas Partey being in the team. And also, you know, Partey last season, it was an injury hit campaign. The minute he was fit and up to things, he played in that decisive running like that was the back end of the season, which evidently we didn't win the title. So, you know, what do you do? He's even playing right back as well, which shows his capabilities, I guess, in Arteta's mind. Now he is on big wages. He is on the wrong side of 30. You put big wages and you give him a new deal. What is that? How long would the new deal be? There's actually even some rumours he's got a one-year option on the deal he has now. But to us ignorant football fans, once again, he's contracted until 2025. Come January, he can agree and move somewhere else. And I don't know how Partey's feeling. Does he want to stay in London? Does he want to get a Saudi payday? He's been linked with clubs in Italy. Does he want to return back to Spain? Also been linked with them? I'm not too sure. He's someone that in the last two summers has been linked with a move away. And admittedly, I personally feel Arsenal, he's not been one of those that they're trying to push out the door, but they're definitely open to do or have been open to doing business if it makes sense. So once again, I ask you guys the question, would you give Partey a new deal? Should you give Partey a new deal? And there's many reasons. Admittedly, naturally the form he's in, I actually think he's a quality player. That's obviously going to be biased to me. But when you break it down, you go back to the 2023 campaign, there has to be a correlation with our first title challenge, consistency from Partey and him making 40 appearances in all comps, 33 in the league, which is unheard of. But if you look at it, people, you know, he played 188 times for Atletico Madrid. He's played 127 times for Arsenal and he's actually only basically just this season, essentially made 100 appearances plus in the Premier League, 104 at this moment in time. So ability is one thing. Can you bet on him being fit for the majority of the campaign and not just this year, next year as well? I don't know. Could Arsenal buy themselves a bit of time giving him a new deal? Again, Arsenal not broke. I don't know the finances of the football club. And as I said, you can find players that don't break the bank. You could break the bank on players. You know, we've shown we will sign players for money that whether we like it or not, Declan Rice, 100 odd million quid. Partey, 45 million at the time, that was a big signing. Kai Havertz, you know, multifunctional players, 65 odd million quid. And things of that ilk, people. So I'm not too sure how you look at it and how you view it, but that's the thing with Partey. But the only issue is how many times have you seen 40 appearances from Thomas Partey across one season? How many times have you seen? Fair enough, it's 33, but 30 plus appearances. 2022, 23 did that. Obviously, if we go back, you know, he played 24 times in that year. 2020, 21, I don't think he was at the club. Yeah, well, technically he was. He played 24 times there. That was, well, he was in the Europa League. Granted we're a lot better. Last season, again, people, you know, he only played 14 times, 789 minutes. So is what we're seeing from Thomas Partey currently and going back to the 2022, 23 season an anomaly and an exception to the rule versus Partey being an injury hit player? Because again, I don't really care about wages, but he is on big wages, people. Like you look at it and again, we obviously need to forward I don't know if Arsenal are going to spend, you know, like I said, you can find players that don't break the bank, but if we have to break the bank, are we going to sign that blockbuster central midfielder on top of a striker, on top of maybe a winger, on top of probably needing to get a goalkeeper or two? I might be being a bit reactionary here, but I feel with the injuries in a well-stocked position, typically at Arsenal in defence, do we go and get another centre-half excluding anything else Mikel Arteta wants to do before we even consider who could leave this club but he is one of the top earners. But unlike, well, Gabriel Jesus' age is kind to Jesus, but he's kind of in the same boat with Partey in that you're not reliable historically in terms of availability, right? But if we just completely not ignore, but ignore Jesus' injuries and stuff like that, when you look at it, our top five earners, and I don't know how accurate this is and I'm, you know, if you're Bakaio Saka, I'm saying, well, you need to sort out a new deal for me. But, you know, you look at the top names there, even all the way down, you know, to Martinelli, the one thing that they all have over Thomas Partey is longevity. They're all going to be here for a while. Partey is 31 and how long is the duration of the deal? Is it a thing where you keep Partey for a year, you spend heavy in the market on a striker and a winger next summer and we do what we can? I'm not sure. I personally believe next summer, well, between January and summer, we need to bring in a central midfielder, if I'm honest with you, because I think there's a wider discussion to say about the skill set of our central midfielder or central midfield options. Big up Ethan, he's still learning on the job. Big up Martin Wondergaard doing his thing. You know, Fabio Vieira is on loan and you hope he returns and he's amazing, but it's probably the end. Kai Havertz can play midfield. You don't really want to see that on a consistent basis. Moreno and Declarise are long-term options. But I just wonder, in terms of the all-action, tenacious aerial drills, multifunctionalness, they've all got that. But in terms of, again, I'm going to say it, the Santis, the Cess, that kind of line-breaking midfielder, is that we're missing that skill set. And I think you'll even see a better Odegaard. I love how Odegaard drops deep and all of that. I don't want that to go anywhere. But I just feel if you get somebody that can dictate the tempo, play those consistent line-breaking passes, on top of having your Timbers, your Calafuries, whoever the hell is inverting and left-back, on top of Martin Odegaard, the class region, we're cooking and we're really creative and we're getting a bit more balanced people. But then, again, Arsenal have a decision to make, man. He's on, like, 200 grand a week. And naturally, if you sign a new deal, Arsenal might say to him, listen, we'll give you a year contract or two, but you have to take a little less money. Part of him might say, you know what, I don't expect a massive increase, but can I get a little increase? The people that just look at these things, not from a football lens, but purely accountancy, they might say, oh, yeah, fair enough. He had that season where he played 40-odd games. He's played in all the nine games now. But is that an exception to the rule? You can't really bet on his fitness and his availability. And simply put, if it was a job turning up for work, I don't know. And of course, people, the injuries, fair enough. God forbid that he gets injuries, but the injury list is long, isn't it, really and truly? Yeah, he's had injuries at Atletico Madrid. But if you just go from 2020-21, he's had muscle, hip, hamstring, ankle, muscle, knot, thigh problems, knot, groin, hamstring. And obviously, at 31 years of age, turning 32 next year, bearing in mind that isn't really encouraging to sign a new deal. But what are you lot's thoughts? Do you give him a new deal? Would you give him a new deal right now? Do you kind of review this and assume, you know, does he sign get a new deal now? Do you say, regardless, get him out? Do you hope he's put into the shop window? Do you think Arsenal will just allow him to leave on a free? Do you think it's a thing where if we're still saying these things about Thomas Partey, come the 2025 Premier League game mark and whatever in all comps, maybe we can discuss things? I don't know, people. For what it's worth, I don't feel there's one sure answer at this moment in time. And that's why I came to you lot, the marketplace, the community, the family, you know, my family, you know, because we got 60-odd thousand subscribers big up you lot each and every time. But that's my thoughts. I want to know your thoughts, people. So if you wouldn't mind commenting in the live chat, leave a comment as well. Don't forget to like, comment, subscribe, follow on all the socials so you're aware of content to come out. Do not trust YouTube, people. YouTube is not your friend. It's not giving notifications. It's not even telling you lot when we're live, but we still have to make it happen, people. But as I said, let me know your thoughts.