The case for Arsenal to sell Thomas Partey right now as injury issues among three factors to consider

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Injuries have once again robbed Arsenal of Thomas Partey this season and so it is time to evaluate whether he should be moved on. 

The midfielder is still one of the best in Europe, but the issue is his high wages and lack of availability is costly to the squad.

Thomas Partey has had issues ever since he joined Arsenal

Deadline day of summer 2020 had Arsenal in an ecstasy of delight as they made the £45 million purchase of Thomas Partey.

The club had long needed a defensive midfielder to help the team. It was an issue that had also been problematic through long stretches of the Arsene Wenger era.

But the signing signalled intent and a world-class defensive midfielder was finally in the ranks.

However, from the very start of his Arsenal career, Partey has not been able to maintain fitness and each season the Gunners’ form has plummeted during his long spells of absence. 

During his four seasons at Arsenal to date, Partey has missed 405 days due to injury and has been out for a whopping 80 games in total. 

The positive is that in the summer of 2023/24, the dependence on Partey was broken as the team invested in Declan Rice so that another world-beating defensive midfielder was on the books.

READ MORE: Top five most injured Arsenal players in 2023/24

Thomas Partey has the quality but his Arsenal injury record is worrying

The 31-year-old still has some of the best data for midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues.

Looking at his output his style fits Arsenal perfectly with elite passing numbers, fantastic ball progression and incredible defensive abilities. 

His statistics show that he is the perfect fit for a defensive midfielder at the base of Arsenal’s engine room, but the fact that he had only 883 minutes last season, which meant he played the equivalent of just 9.8 matches, shows that he is not available enough for the huge expenditure on his wages. 

According to Capology, Partey is the fifth highest wage earner at the club and during this time of strict Financial Fair Play regulations, these wages could be better spent on one, or two, midfielders who have much higher availability rates. 

At his age and with his injury history it is unlikely he will be able to have a miraculous improvement with his constant issues.

Is it time for Arsenal to sell?

If a good offer is made for the player this summer, then it would be wise for Mikel Arteta to move him on if a replacement can also be easily found. 

Thomas Partey has a fantastic profile for the club but the reality is that he is rarely available to display those talents and so most of his £200,000-per-week wages are wasted.