One imminent Mikel Arteta decision could end Arsenal career of ‘underrated’ player

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Arsenal star Jorginho has been sensational of late, and a decision needs to be made over his future soon.

The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season, but Arsenal do have the option to extend his deal by another year.

His agent recently admitted that there is interest from several Serie A sides, but given his fantastic performances, including his remarkable display against Newcastle on Saturday, Mikel Arteta will likely be keen to keep the experienced veteran.

Should Jorginho stay for another year, it has been mooted that the Arsenal career of fellow midfielder Thomas Partey would be all but over.

Jorginho contract extension could end Thomas Partey’s Arsenal career

Speaking on the Arsenal Beat Podcast, journalist Kaya Kaynak claimed that given his injury issues, and Arsenal’s desire to bring another midfielder in, a Jorginho extension would be the final nail in the coffin for Partey’s spell at the club.

“I think the proof is in the pudding, particularly with Partey, that in the summer Arsenal were willing to sell him, and they probably will be again this summer,” he stated.

“Arsenal essentially moved on from Thomas Partey. He was such an important player, but they moved on. They brought in Declan Rice, they brought in Jorginho.

“They’ll make a decision on whether to extend Jorginho’s contract, but I imagine if they do extend Jorginho’s contract, that’s kind of it for Thomas Partey’s Arsenal career, because they do want to sign another midfielder this summer.

“I think yeah they’ve already passed it, they don’t necessarily need him anymore.”

Arsenal should sell Thomas Partey and keep Jorginho

Despite his immense quality when fit, Partey has not featured since October, and the club can no longer rely on him to stay fit.

Jorginho has proven to be a much more reliable option, both in terms of consistent performances in closing out games and adding more composure to the team, as well as fitness.

Partey was described as “underrated” by Leandro Trossard, and perhaps his value on the pitch is sometimes overlooked, with the Ghanaian bringing more physicality to the midfield than Jorginho, but the Italian’s intelligence and experience have proven to be very useful to Arteta.

With Martin Zubimendi linked, Arsenal look set to add to their midfield in the summer, and one of their current defensive midfielders would have to leave to make room for a new arrival, and if possible, Partey should be moved on and Jorginho kept for his reliability.