2 pros & cons of Arsenal extending Thomas Partey's contract

Before we get into it, it's worth noting that there have merely been reports of Arsenal potentially opening talks with Thomas Partey over a new contract. Nothing's close to being finalised.

However, with the midfielder enjoying an injury-free start to what Americans would call a 'contract year', it does make sense for the Gunners to entertain the idea.

Partey's talent has long been undeniable, but his Arsenal career has been one of distinct frustration. He signed in 2020 as a borderline superstar, but only sporadically have we got to enjoy the best iteraiton of the Ghanaian. The 31-year-old is perhaps beyond his best, and there are pros and cons to Arsenal extending the current deal of the usually unreliable midfielder.

Let's assess a couple of key points on both sides of the argument.

Pro #1 - Reliability shown at start of new season

Mikel Arteta has stuck by Partey ever since the Ghanaian rocked up in north London. He's often asserted the player's importance to his project, and you'd expect that the manager is keen to tie Partey down to a new deal.

Injuries to new arrival Mikel Merino and captain Martin Odegaard have seen Partey start every Premier League and Champions League fixture before the October international break. He doesn't have the legs of his apex, but he's stayed injury free and offered some reliability.

There have been shoddy displays, namely his disastrous showing in Bergamo, but Partey has also stepped up on the big occasion and has shown impressive diligence when Arsenal have been forced to dig in. He performed well after a poor start at Manchester City and was efficient in the 2-0 victory over PSG.

Partey is not astounding us in possession as he once could, but he's contributing to controlled midfield performances and has proven to be effective at mopping up the loose ball in the middle of the park. You could argue that he's outperformed Declan Rice during the first two months of the season.

The form he's showed at the start of the new campaign has seemingly convinced the club that a new deal would be justified.

Con #1 - Squad player on high wages

Despite his bright start to the season, it hasn't been all good and we shouldn't expect Partey to play such an integral role as the campaign progresses.

Once Merino integrates properly and Odegaard returns from an ankle injury, I think we can assume Arteta's favoured midfield three would be these two accompanied by Rice at the base of midfield.

Partey would be relegated to a depth role, but the midfielder doesn't have the legs to play 90 minutes regularly anyway. It's a function that could suit at this stage of his career.

However, the 31-year-old is currently being paid like a star. According to Spotrac, Partey is Arsenal's sixth-highest earner and his reported £200,000-a-week wage is higher than Bukayo Saka's (£195,000) and William Saliba's (£190,000). Given the role Partey would be expected to perform under his new contract, it wouldn't make sense for Arsenal to be paying him so much money.

Partey spoke earlier of this year about his desire to remain in north London, but would he be willing to take a pay-cut and play on a short-term contract?

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