Arsenal: Thomas Partey keen to leave Atletico Madrid for Arteta’s project
After a long wait, Arsenal finally announced the signing of Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille.
Thomas Partey is keen to quit Atletico Madrid for Arsenal this summer should both clubs reach an agreement over the transfer fees. After a long period of reflection, the Ghana international would decide against extending his contract with the Rojiblancos if a suitable offer comes their way.
Mikel Arteta has been keen on building a solid foundation comprising of an impermeable defence with a robust holding midfielder to execute his energetic possession-based football at Arsenal. For the number six role, Atletico’s Thomas Partey has been envisaged as an ideal candidate.
Rising through the ranks at Atletico, Thomas Partey has honed his skills to establish himself as one of the best, often underrated, controlling midfielders across Europe. With every passing season, the Ghanian has improved in his positional awareness which when combined with his terrier-like approach provides a solid anchor to Diego Simeone’s XI.
In addition to the evident traits, the £45million release clause in Partey’s contract makes him one of the best prospects to invest in considering the inflated state of the transfer market. However, Arsenal have failed to trigger the release clause due to the financial constraints of the club.
While the Atletico bosses kept insisting on receiving the clause amount upfront, the London counterparts have tried to include a few players, including Mateo Gunedouzi, to offset the price of Thomas Partey. Thus far, all those efforts have failed to return dividends for Arsenal.
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"Thomas Partey is happy to wait to see how things progress over the coming weeks. Although he is keen on a switch to the Premier League and is likely to move to Arsenal if a deal can be agreed between the two clubs, he will not look to force his way out of Atletico Madrid.Atletico do not want to lose Partey and still hope to convince him to sign a new contract. His current deal runs until 2023 and there had been talks over extending his stay. (Goal)"
Having spent dearly to lure Willian and Gabriel Magalhaes this summer, Arsenal chiefs would have to generate additional funds for their kitty via player sales before they proceed further with their summer recruitment. Meanwhile, Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos inches closer to securing his second loan spell with the London club.
Thus far, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has terminated his contract at Arsenal to join AS Roma. A host of players are waiting in the wings as they face an uncertain future at the Emirates Stadium. Defender Rob Holding is poised to complete a loan move to Newcastle United in the coming days. Sokratis is also believed to have agreed on a deal to join Napoli.
Among the high-profile members, Alexandre Lacazette, Mateo Guendouzi, Hector Bellerin, and Shkodran Mustafi are understood to be on the transfer list as Mikel Arteta seeks a major overhaul to impart his vision to the Arsenal squad.