"He can't lace Rodri's boots now" – Darren Bent changes opinion on Arsenal star

Former Tottenham Hotspur star Darren Bent has changed his claim about Arsenal star Thomas Partey, stating that he is inferior to Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

Partey, 29, earned a lot of plaudits for his reliable outings at the heart of midfield in the first half of the ongoing 2022-23 campaign. However, he has failed to start his side's last three Premier League matches due to poor form.

Meanwhile, the Gunners have identified Declan Rice as a marquee signing for the upcoming summer transfer window. They are keen to replace Partey with the West Ham United captain, who has shone in last three seasons.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Bent shared his thoughts on Arsenal's pursuit of Rice and compared him to Rodri. He said:

"It looks like Declan is going to go in the summer and listen, he's a fantastic player. They're talking about him being sold for around £120 million this summer. What's Rodri worth right now then? £150 million? At least!"

Showering huge praise on the 41-cap Spain international, Bent continued:

"Do you know what it is? He can attack, he can score, he can defend and when I talk about the holding midfield role, dictating the tempo of the game, he does that really well.

"He always picks the right pass, he's so strong. He never gives the ball away. For me, he's the best holding midfielder in the world. I can't think of anyone better."

When asked to name the better midfielder between Rodri and Partey, Bent replied:

"At the start of the season, for my sins, I was saying it was Thomas Partey. He can't lace Rodri's boots now!"

Partey, who joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for around £45 million in 2020, has scored three goals in 38 games this campaign. He is next set to be in action for his team against Nottingham Forest on Saturday (May 20).

Bacary Sagna urges Manchester City target to remain at Arsenal

Speaking to SportingPost, former Arsenal and Manchester City star Bacary Sagna urged Gunners left-back Kieran Tierney to reject a move to the Cityzens ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window. He elaborated:

"I wouldn't leave the club. He needs to fight to play and come back into the manager's plan. He is part of what's becoming one of the best clubs in England, so where is he going to go?

"Of course, you want to be able to play but sometimes you need to be out of your comfort zone. So it's high time to fight for a place, not just leave and give up."

According to Football Insider, Manchester City have identified Tierney as a transfer target for the upcoming summer transfer window. They have opted to prioritise the Arsenal star's signature over Ben Chilwell and Aaron Hickey.

Tierney, 25, has established himself as a vital squad member for the north London outfit since arriving from Celtic for £25 million in 2019. He has helped the Gunners lift two trophies so far, making 121 appearances in the process.