"He is very much staying put" - Journalist claims Arsenal star linked with Saudi move will not leave the club this summer

Journalist Charles Watts has reported that Thomas Partey is very likely to stay at Arsenal this summer. He adds that the move to Saudi Arabia is very much off the table.

Al Ahli were reported to be plotting a move for Partey this summer. The Saudi Arabian side were ready to offer €40 million for the Ghanaian star, but the move seems to have cooled off.

Watts has now reported that the current situation suggests the move is all but dead in the water. He adds that Arsenal were also happy to keep the midfielder as it did not make sense to sell the Ghana star. He said on his YouTube channel:

"We have to start with Mikel Arteta's comments about Thomas Partey. He hasn't really spoken about this at all yet all summer. This was the day he came out and spoke amid all the speculation, all the stories about Thomas Partey and Saudi Arabia and what was going to happen. Is he going to stay? Very forthright, very certain comments there from Mikel Arteta. It doesn't really leave any room for doubt, I would say, in terms of Thomas Partey's future. It seems as though he is very much staying put."

He added:

"People who I have spoken to and have been very close to Partey have always said, 'He doesn't want to go. He wants to stay and be part of what's happening at Arsēnal' – If a massive, massive bid had come in, then Arsēnal would have looked at it. They were never looking to push Partey out of the door, or anything like that. From a footballing point of view, you just don't sell Thomas Partey. It just doesn't make any sense."

Arsenal signed Declan Rice this summer, but Partey is still a part of Mikel Arteta's plans.

Arsenal manager confirms Thomas Partey will stay at the club

Thomas Partey

Mikel Arteta has confirmed that he wants to keep Thomas Partey at the club. The manager added that Arsenal were not looking to sell the midfielder as he too wants to stay.

Partey joined from Atletico Madrid in 2020 after the Gunners activated his release clause in 2020. He had a £45.3 million clause at the Spanish club and the Premier League side got him on deadline day.

Partey has played 99 matches for the Gunners and has scored 5 times for them. He has two years left on his current deal at the Emirates.