What Atletico Madrid just realised after speaking to Arsenal star Thomas Partey about summer transfer

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Thomas Partey’s future at Arsenal is up in the air.

The Ghana international is closing in on five years as a Gunner, and the contract he signed back in 2020 is about to come to an end.

Arsenal are set to allow Jorginho to leave on a free transfer to Flamengo, but the stance on their number five is completely different.

Mikel Arteta wants to keep Partey at Arsenal beyond the end of his current contract.

Atletico Madrid think signing Thomas Partey is ‘almost impossible’ for one reason

Thomas Partey made a brilliant name for himself at Atletico Madrid in Spain.

The midfielder was one of the best in the business in La Liga for a long time, and his performances there convinced Arteta to trigger his release clause in 2020.

Partey, when he has been fit, has mostly been very good for Arsenal, and the 2024/25 campaign has probably been his best in the famous red and white.

Atletico Madrid have been keeping an eye on their old midfielder, and the prospect of signing him for nothing this summer piqued their interest.

Spanish journalist Sergio Valentin, who works for Marca among other outlets, has revealed that Partey spoke to Atleti and would even be open to a return to the Spanish capital.

But, his salary demands make it impossible.

Valentin said on X: “Darwin Nunez and Thomas Partey have spoken with Atlético de Madrid and would like to sign for the red and white club.

“Thomas’s move is almost impossible given his salary. Darwin’s, not so much. A loan with a purchase option is being considered.”

What Mikel Arteta has said about Thomas Partey

Arteta has long been an admirer of Partey.

The Arsenal manager has kept him despite his injury issues over the years, and the Ghana international has repaid that faith with his performances this season.

When asked about Partey’s future in his press conference, Arteta stressed that the midfielder is one of his most important players.

He said: “There are some question marks on a few of them, so we’ll have to wait and see. We still have another Premier League match to play on Sunday, and after that, we have some time to sit down and finalise a few things that have to be done.

“In regards to Thomas, I think consistency-wise it’s been his best season. I think the way he’s played and performed, his availability has been exceptional, and he’s a really important player for us.”