Mikel Arteta has emphatically asserted that Thomas Partey is an indispensable player for Arsenal, and the club has no intention of selling him this summer, despite the arrival of Declan Rice.
Speculation had arisen about the 30-year-old midfielder's future at the club following Arsenal's record-breaking £105m signing of Rice from West Ham United. However, Arteta is resolute in his stance that Partey will remain at the club.
“Yes [he will stay] – Thomas Partey is a super-important player for us and for me and we want him to be in the team, that’s for sure,” the manager said in New Jersey during Arsenal’s tour of the US. “They can play together [he and Rice]. That was in my plans – if you want to improve the squad and have more quality we need players who can play together and need players in the same positions who have to fight for their places – it’s something we haven’t had in the last few years.Arteta further affirmed that Thomas Partey is committed to staying with the club, saying,
“We want to improve that and that’s why we brought in Declan as well. Every time I spoke to him [Partey] and had a conversation with him he’s ready to stay with us. For me, there’s nothing there at all.”
Initially, Thomas Partey's future with the club was uncertain due to an injury that prevented him from joining the Arsenal squad for their preseason camp in the USA. However, the Ghanaian deputy captain has now reunited with the team on Tuesday.
