Ghanaian and African football legend John Paintsil has advised Arsenal against letting their defensive midfielder Thomas Partey leave for free, describing him as one of the club’s best and most experienced players.
In an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa, the 44-year-old, who played in the English Premier League for West Ham, questioned the Gunners for dragging out contract extension talks. Reports suggest the player is set to exit after Arsenal failed to meet his financial demands.
Partey is in the final two weeks of his current deal at the Emirates, which is due to expire on June 30. The midfielder has performed well this season and has been one of the standout performers, featuring in 52 matches across all competitions.
“They are making a mistake letting him leave without a penny,” said Paintsil, who represented Ghana at two World Cups. “He is one of the best in his position in England, and certainly in Europe, so I don’t get it.”
“He deserves a new contract, and it beats my understanding if they want to let him go. He was literally their best player last season, and we saw how they struggled without him. He played multiple positions when they were short in defence due to injuries.
For me, he still has three years of football at the top level. They will have new players coming in, and that can only raise their level. They just don’t have to lose their best players, especially without getting paid,” the former defender added.
In his five-year spell at Arsenal, Partey has made 169 appearances, scoring nine goals and providing six assists. He helped the team to back-to-back second-place finishes in the 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25 campaigns.
