Thomas Partey left Arsenal in the summer of 2025 after the club and the player failed to reach an agreement over a new contract.
His deal expired on 30 June 2025, and Arsenal chose not to renew it, meaning the Ghanaian midfielder departed as a free agent after five seasons in North London.
There was no dramatic fallout or sudden sacking. Instead, several football and financial reasons came together to make his exit almost inevitable.
First, contract talks between Arsenal and Partey collapsed mainly over money and role. Reports from England explained that Arsenal did offer him a new deal, but on similar wages to what he was already earning. Partey, now 32 and likely looking for the last big contract of his career, wanted a pay rise, more guarantees about playing time, and a stronger role in the squad. When the club made it clear they would not go beyond their wage structure for a player who would probably be a rotation option, both sides agreed to part ways.
Second, Arsenal’s transfer strategy changed. Mikel Arteta and the recruitment team planned a midfield rebuild around younger players. The club had long targeted a new first-choice holding midfielder, such as Martín Zubimendi, to take over the number six role that Partey once dominated. Once it became clear that a new defensive midfielder would arrive and that Jorginho was also leaving, Arsenal had to choose carefully how to allocate wages and squad places. In that calculation, keeping an injury-prone 32-year-old on a huge salary did not make sense, especially when he was no longer guaranteed to start every week.
Third, injuries played a big part. Partey was outstanding at his peak for Arsenal, but he struggled to stay fit over multiple seasons. Long muscle injuries and spells on the sidelines meant Arteta could not rely on him across a full campaign. When a club is trying to win the Premier League and the Champions League, availability becomes as important as pure quality. From the club’s perspective, renewing a very expensive contract for a player frequently unavailable was a big risk.
Finally, there were off-pitch factors in the background. By the time his contract ended, Partey was also facing serious legal proceedings in England over allegations dating back several years, and Arsenal were under heavy public scrutiny for how they handled the situation while he was still playing for the club. After his deal expired, the club simply stated that his contract had ended and declined to comment further because of ongoing legal matters.
In summary, Thomas Partey left Arsenal because his contract expired and both sides decided not to extend it. The failure to agree on wages and role, Arsenal’s shift toward a younger midfield core, his injury record, and the wider context around his situation all combined to make a clean break in 2025 the most logical step for club and player.