Ghana's Thomas Partey joins Al Shabab in Saudi Pro League move

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has joined Saudi Pro League club Al Shabab, who announced his arrival on Friday. The 33-year-old is understood to have signed a one-year contract, although the club did not disclose the deal’s duration in its announcement.

Al Shabab revealed the signing through a video posted on X, welcoming Partey to the club. The move takes the former Arsenal player to the Middle East for the first time and ends his 13-year spell in European football.

Partey began that European journey in 2013 after leaving Ghanaian club Tema Youth for Atletico Madrid. He initially featured for the Spanish side before spending loan periods at Mallorca and Almeria. He later returned to Atletico and became an important part of Diego Simeone’s team.

His performances in Madrid led to a move to Arsenal in 2020. The Premier League club paid a reported £45 million for the midfielder, who went on to make more than 100 appearances during five seasons in north London. Partey later returned to Spain with Villarreal, the final European club of his career.

The transfer gives Al Shabab a midfielder with extensive experience in Spain and England. Partey’s arrival also begins a new phase of a career that has included a significant role with Ghana’s Black Stars since his senior debut in 2016.

He has represented Ghana at major international tournaments, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. The Black Stars reached the knockout stage at that tournament, with Partey among the senior figures in the squad. He now continues his club career in Saudi Arabia with Al Shabab.