Spanish giants Atletico Madrid have apparently shown an interest in re-signing Thomas Partey from Arsenal next summer.
The Ghana international made a name for himself as a tough-tackling lynchpin during his time in the Spanish capital from 2012 to 2020, before signing for the Gunners in a deal worth circa £42m.
Partey's time in the Premier League has been plagued by numerous fitness problems, though, and the signing of Declan Rice in 2023 would seemingly precede the 31-year-old's exit.
However, with Rice instead playing as a number eight rather than a number six, Partey has risen back up the ranks this season, starting every Premier League and Champions League game so far.
The midfielder has never signed a new contract during his time in North London, though, and he could walk away from the Emirates for nothing at the end of the season if a renewal is not agreed.
Barcelona, Atletico 'battling' to sign Partey
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According to Fichajes - via TEAMTalk - Atletico boss Diego Simeone would happily welcome Partey back to the Wanda Metropolitano, where he made 188 appearances and won La Liga and the Europa League.
Atletico will face stiff competition from rivals Barcelona, though, as the cash-strapped Catalans are not likely to pass up an opportunity to sign a high-profile player for free, especially one with La Liga experience.
A switch to the Saudi Pro League is still thought to be a serious option for Partey, who could also expect a much higher wage packet in the Middle East compared to the Spanish top flight.
Juventus were also strongly linked with a move for the 31-year-old over the summer, but the Italian giants will soon welcome back Paul Pogba, who can reportedly return to action in March after his four-year doping ban was reduced to 18 months.
Partey has conjured up six goals and four assists in 124 appearances for Arsenal over the past four years, and speaking ahead of Saturday's 3-1 Premier League win over Southampton, Arteta claimed that the midfielder's physical condition after the summer was the best he had ever seen.
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"He's a massive player for us and he's shown that week in, week out. He's started the season really well, really fit. The way he came back post-holiday was probably in the best condition that he's been, which was really helpful as well," Arteta said.
"Now he needs to continue to do that. We have managed certain minutes with him in the right way and the team is doing that, and then he's doing everything he can as well to be in the best physical condition."
Should Arsenal offer Partey a new contract?
Many Gooners will remember the 2020 era of losing several expensive stars for free, such as Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi, albeit while terminating their contracts rather than letting them run them down.
However, letting the £42m Partey go for nothing would be a massive blow on the business side of things, so if nothing else, Arsenal must surely consider giving him a new contract just to protect his value.
It is fair to say that Partey has been more hit than miss since the start of the 2022-23 season, but given his injury record and the fact that he turns 32 next year, keeping him around does not make much sense from a sporting perspective.
Ben Knapton
