Former England international and football pundit, John Barnes, has expressed his astonishment at the possibility of Arsenal parting ways with midfielder Thomas Partey.
Amidst the ongoing transfer speculation surrounding the talented Ghanaian star, Barnes shared his disbelief and stated that if Arsenal were to offload Partey, it would catch him completely off guard.
Partey, who joined Arsenal from Atlético Madrid, is rumored to be deemed surplus to requirements for the upcoming 2023/24 football season and is expected to leave the London club.
Reports suggest that Saudi clubs have shown interest in signing the Black Stars midfielder, while Serie A club Juventus has also been linked with him.
Barnes expressed his surprise at the potential sale of Partey, considering him to be Arsenal’s best defensive midfield player.
He pondered whether there might be a personality issue at play with Partey. Barnes shared these thoughts in an interview with Futfanatico.
“Arsenal potentially selling Thomas Partey would surprise me because I think he’s their best defensive midfield player. Is it a personality thing with Partey?,” he told Futfanatico
“Partey has done really well for Arsenal but it could be similar to [Joao] Cancelo with Manchester City and Pep [Guardiola]. We don’t know the ins and outs of it but I am surprised because he’s a strong defensive midfielder,”
“Declan Rice could be coming in so they may decide Rice is the best option going forward.”