Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have often utilised the free agent market in recent years due to their financial struggles, but their hopes of doing so again in 2025 to bring in an Arsenal star now look to be fading.
In recent months, there has been significant speculation surrounding the future of Thomas Partey. The Ghanian midfielder has attracted interest from Barcelona, while he has also been linked with a return to former club Atleti, whom he was with prior to joining Arsenal back in 2020.
Arsenal have been mulling over whether to offer Partey a new deal, especially given that they are reportedly looking to replace him with Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi. But after two dominant performances against Real Madrid in the Champions League, it appears that they have taken the plunge.
As reported by The Athletic, Arsenal have entered into contract negotiations with Partey’s representatives, with a view to offering him the chance to continue at the club. They are expected to offer a two-year deal, although a one-year extension may be offered instead with the option to include a clause that would keep him in North London for an extra 12 months.
Neither Barcelona or Atleti have held concrete discussions with Partey’s representatives, so it would appear that Arsenal are very strong favourites to reach an agreement. And should this be the case, both clubs would move on to other targets.
Missing out on Partey would not be a big deal for Barcelona, who are already well-covered in midfield – especially if Frenkie de Jong opts to sign a new contract of his own before the end of the season. It would be more of a blow for Atletico Madrid as they are looking to add a new defensive midfielder to Diego Simeone’s squad before the start of the 2025-26 season.
