Thomas Partey has sent Granit Xhaka an emotional farewell message after the latter’s Arsenal exit was confirmed.
Xhaka spent seven years at the Emirates Stadium, enduring a rollercoaster of a relationship with the Gunners fanbase. But in his final campaign in north London, he established himself as something of a cult hero.
In fact, he enjoyed a highly productive season in terms of output, scoring seven Premier League goals and providing a further seven assists – impressive numbers when you consider he occupied a central midfield role. But the 30-year-old decided it was time for a fresh start, leaving for Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.
The deal, which its understands will pocket Mikel Arteta’s side £21.5million, was announced on Thursday ahead of Arsenal’s imminent £105million unveiling of Declan Rice. Now, Partey has taken to social media to wish his former midfield running mate well.
“I am going to miss seeing you around brother (heart emoji) (heart emoji)”, the Ghana international wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of the pair. Partey himself could also be on his way out of the club this summer.
It understands that the former Atletico Madrid star is one of the players the Gunners would be open to selling this summer if a suitable offer were to come in. He has just two years remaining on his contract in north London and reports have suggested that teams in Italy and Saudi Arabia have shown an interest.
Partey joined Arteta’s side back in October 2020, signing for a fee in the region of £42.5million on transfer deadline day. Since then, he has struggled for consistency, also picking up a number of muscular injuries keeping him out of important matches.
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