Arsenal could lose “sensational” ace for £0 in Ramsey repeat

It was a bit of a strange campaign Arsenal so far this season.

Mikel Arteta the sides looked brilliant in some games, such as wins over Sporting CP, Crystal Palace and West Ham United, but looked really bad in others, such as draws against Fulham, Everton and Atalanta.

However, while some players have taken a step back this year, such as Leandro Trossard, others have stepped up, including one international who may be in his best form since joining the club.

However, reports at the end of last month revealed that Arsenal could lose the player in question for nothing in the summer, in a move reminiscent of Aaron Ramsey’s 2019 exit.

Aaron Ramsey’s exit from Arsenal

Ramsey famously decided to join Arsenal as a player 17-year-old on the rise in 2008which he later said was down to Arsène Wenger’s track record with young players and the efforts the club made to try and bring him in.

Over the next 11 years, the Welsh legend suffered many setbacks, such as periods of poor form and a broken leg against Stoke City in 2010but he also enjoyed plenty of climbs.

Let’s say he scored the winning goal in two FA Cup Final and played the full 90 minutes in a 4-0 win against Aston Villa.

By the time his time in North London was up, he had already accumulated 64 goals and 60 assists in 369 appearances, which equates to a sensational goal share average of every 2.97 games.

However, despite the club offering him a new contract in the summer of 2018the former Caerphilly-born star decided sign a preliminary contract with Juventus the following January, for which he moved to Turin that summer.

Unfortunately for the 34-year-old, he would only make money 70 performances of the Old Lady over the following years before joining Rangers on a short-term loan in January 2022, then OGC Nice for a season that summer, before finally returning to his boyhood club Cardiff City last summer, where he remains today.

Things may not have gone his way since he left the club, but there’s no doubt that losing Ramsey, especially on a free, was a significant blow for Arsenal, and it’s a blow that could be repeated with another midfielder this year.

Arsenal prospect Ramsey repeats

So, to cut to the chase, the Arsenal player in question is Thomas Partey.

According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo late last week, as reported by Sports WitnessBarcelona have a list of potential replacements for Frenkie De Jong, and they are incredibly interested in the extremely experienced Ghanaian.

Similar to the situation with Ramsey in 2018/19, the report revealed that Arteta and Co are trying to keep hold of the 31-year-old after his contract expires in the summer and are happy to offer him a two-year extension.

However, it is not clear if this is an offer the former Atlético Madrid star will accept, and he now has all the power as he can negotiate a pre-contract with foreign clubs this month.

Now, if this news had been announced at the end of last season, fans and pundits might have seen this transfer as a useful way to relieve Partey hefty wages of £200k per weeklike the last few years seriously limit the injuries seen his role in the team.

However, while he played only 883 minutes of football for the club last season, he is already played 1976 minutes this year, and to say that he was a useful player for the manager would be an understatement.

For example, in just 18 league appearances this season“sensational” leader, as he called him La Liga expert Gerry Armstronghe scored two goals and provided two assists, meaning he was involved in a goal every 4.5 games on average, which is even more impressive due to the fact that four of those appearances came at right back.

Ultimately, while he is not a long-term option, Partey has shown this season that he still has the ability to be a top midfielder for a Premier League title-chasing side, and so Arsenal must do what they can to ensure he does not leave on a free like Ramsey.