Arsenal are expected to appoint Andrea Berta as their new sporting director this month, and the former Atletico Madrid man will have a couple of huge decisions to make immediately at the Emirates.
Fabrizio Romano revealed on Monday morning that Berta is Arsenal’s leading candidate to replace Edu Gaspar, who left N5 in November.
The Italian will arrive in North London with a great pedigree, having overseen one of Atletico’s most impressive periods in recent history over the last 12 years.
However, he’ll have his work cut out at Arsenal, with some tedious contract situations that need dealing with being the first thing on the agenda.
Andrea Berta has to make contract decision on Thomas Partey
Berta has an excellent track record of successfully recruiting strikers, which will excite fans as Arsenal desperately hunt for a new centre-forward.
However, the football administrator will have to settle the futures of two stars before he even thinks about pursuing a number nine.
Thomas Partey and Jorginho are both out of contract in the summer, and it’s yet to be confirmed what the future holds for the pair of midfielders.
Arsenal are reportedly considering offering Partey a new contract, although the Ghanaian would have to accept a pay cut to extend his stay in North London.
However, reports emerged on Monday morning indicating that it’s more likely that Partey leaves once his deal expires.
As for Partey’s Italian counterpart, the situation appears more cut and dry.
Likely to depart Islington, Jorginho is close to agreeing a pre-contract with Flamengo, with the Brazilian club eager to snatch the former Chelsea man up before he can be offered a new deal.
Berta faces a tough decision, whether to stick with the ageing midfielders in Mikel Arteta’s ensemble or launch a midfield rebuild in the summer.
Arsenal shouldn’t offer Thomas Partey a new contract
While replacing two veteran members of a squad who play in the same position at the same time may feel daunting, it’s something Arsenal must do.
Jorginho already has one foot out the exit door at London Colney, and Partey should join him.
The former Atletico player has struggled with the intensity of the Premier League at times this season, and his underlying data has shown noticeable signs of decline since the 2022/23 campaign.
| Partey’s Premier League Statistics | ||
| Stat | 2022/23 | 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 33 | 25 |
| Goals | 3 | 3 |
| Assists | 0 | 2 |
| Pass Accuracy | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| Key Passes per 90 | 0.94 | 0.67 |
| Progressive Passes per 90 | 8.37 | 6.25 |
| Tackles per 90 | 2.54 | 3.17 |
| Interceptions per 90 | 1.01 | 1.21 |
The Ghana international’s passing has become less progressive and more conservative, whilst he’s offering less in the final third in terms of creating shots for teammates.
Martin Zubimendi is expected to sign for Arsenal in the summer, and the Spaniard’s arrival would essentially make Partey redundant in Arteta’s team.
Meanwhile, Joshua Kimmich is also linked with Arsenal, with the German’s experience replacing the experience that would be lost without Partey and Jorginho.
At 31, Partey is past his best and is only likely to get worse, while he’s also on a lot of money that could be removed from the wage bill.
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