Thomas Partey Joins Al-Shabab: Next Steps in His Career

Thomas Partey has touched down in Riyadh, and the next step in his career is now only a medical away.

The Black Stars deputy captain is on the brink of signing for Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab, arriving in Saudi Arabia ahead of routine tests that are expected to clear the way for a one-year deal.

If all goes as planned, the 33-year-old will join the Riyadh club as a free agent after his contract with Villarreal ran out at the end of the 2025/26 season.

From Arsenal and Villarreal to Saudi Arabia

Partey’s journey to Riyadh has been a long one through Europe’s top leagues.

He left Arsenal in 2025 after several seasons in north London, where he made 130 appearances and scored nine goals before departing the Premier League as a free agent. Villarreal offered the next stage, handing him a one-year contract for the 2025/26 campaign.

In Spain, he featured 25 times in all competitions for the Yellow Submarine, according to Transfermarkt, adding La Liga experience to his already substantial résumé from his Atletico Madrid days.

Now comes a new challenge. The Saudi Pro League has become a magnet for established European names, and Partey is set to join that wave while still operating at a high competitive level.

Reunion with Carrasco

Riyadh will not be entirely unfamiliar territory.

At Al-Shabab, Partey is poised to reunite with Yannick Carrasco, his former teammate from Atletico Madrid. The Belgian winger has been with the club for the past three seasons, and their renewed partnership offers Al-Shabab an experienced European core in midfield and attack.

For Partey, it is another familiar face in a new dressing room. For Al-Shabab, it is the spine of a team built around players who know what it takes to compete at the top.

Boost for Ghana ahead of AFCON push

This move is not just about club football. It carries clear weight for Ghana.

Partey remains a central figure for the Black Stars and was one of Ghana’s key performers at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, playing three matches as the team reached the Round of 32. His influence in midfield, on and off the ball, still underpins much of what Ghana try to do.

Ghana missed the last Africa Cup of Nations and cannot afford another absence. With 2027 AFCON qualifying set to kick off in September, the national team needs its leaders fit, sharp and playing regularly.

That is where Al-Shabab come in. A stable role, consistent minutes and a clear fitness programme in Saudi Arabia could keep Partey at the level required to drive Ghana’s campaign back to the continental stage.

For the Black Stars, his proposed move is more than a late-career switch. It is a potential anchor for their qualifying hopes.

Preparing for the next chapter

Partey has not been idle while waiting for the right offer.

Recent reports from YEN.com.gh detailed how he has been stepping up his training in Turkey since becoming a free agent, working on his fitness as he prepared for whatever came next.

“Whatever came next” now looks like Al-Shabab, a one-year contract and a season that could define the final stretch of his career — and shape Ghana’s road to AFCON at the same time.