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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Simon Collings

Arsenal: Mikel Arteta hints at 'progress' over new contract for Thomas Partey

Mikel Arteta has hinted that he would be open to Thomas Partey signing a new contract at Arsenal.

Partey is into the final few months of his current deal, which is due to expire at the end of this season.

The midfielder has performed well this season and was one of the star performers across the two legs of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid.

And asked if there has been any progress over a new contract for Partey, Arteta said: “Yes, there is progress with all the players. I’ll leave that to Andrea [Berta] and the club to decide and to talk about.”

Arteta was then pressed if the intention is to keep Partey and coyly said: “The intention is very clear. I’ll leave that to Andrea and the club to take a step forward.”

Thomas Partey excelled against Declan Rice (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

After the high of beating Real Madrid 2-1 at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, Arsenal are back in Premier League action on Sunday when they travel to Ipswich.

Liverpool could win the title this weekend if they beat Leicester and Arsenal lose to Ipswich, who could themselves be relegated on Sunday.

Arsenal have won just two of their last seven league games and Arteta has urged them to turn their form around, with Newcastle just four points off them in third.

“For us, it’s a big game,” he said. “We need to start to win football matches in the Premier League to at least maintain the position that we are in and to push into the last few games with some hope.

“And we know how tough it’s going to be. They are a really well-organised team. What Kieran [McKenna] and the staff have done is remarkable and you see every week how they perform and the amount of issues they give the opposition. So we expect a tough game.”

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