Arteta wants Partey to stay at Arsenal and makes more goals a transfer priority

Mikel Arteta has said he would like Thomas Partey to stay at Arsenal but admitted his squad needs more “firepower” to win trophies.

Talks are understood to have begun with Partey’s representatives over extending his contract beyond this season. The Ghana midfielder has been one of Arsenal’s best players as they finished as Premier League runners-up for a third season in succession. Arteta has won only the 2020 FA Cup during his five seasons in charge.

Jorginho and Kieran Tierney are expected to leave at the end of their contracts this summer. Arsenal remain confident of completing the signing of the midfielder Martín Zubimendi from Real Sociedad despite late interest from Real Madrid, and Arteta said he hoped Partey would remain.

“Yes,” he said. “I think consistency-wise it’s been his best season. The way he’s played, performed, his availability, has been exceptional and he’s a really important player for us.”

Asked whether the return of Kai Havertz from a hamstring injury ahead of schedule had changed the approach for the summer transfer window, the Arsenal manager said: “What is clear as well with the amount of injuries that we had in the front line [is] that we need a goal threat and we need the firepower out there. Understanding that the context can change tomorrow and we cannot rely just on the numbers that we had before. And we have to add goals, we have to add creativity, we have to add numbers and that will be in different positions.”

Arsenal have been linked with a move for Madrid’s Rodrygo after the Spanish side stepped up attempts to sign Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, who has also long been coveted by Arteta. Viktor Gyökeres of Sporting and Benjamin Sesko are among potential targets to provide support to Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, who sustained a season-ending knee injury in January.

Arteta congratulated Tottenham and their manager, Ange Postecoglou, for winning the Europa League but refused to be drawn on whether he thought Arsenal’s north London rivals had had a better season than his team after winning a first trophy since 2008. “I don’t like to compare with other teams,” he said. “I need to analyse my team. That is my job.”