Arsenal are interested in a summer move for Thomas Partey and are reportedly ready to meet the £42 million buyout clause to land the Atletico Madrid midfielder.
The Mirror report that Arsenal are willing to stump up £42 million in the summer in order to get their preferred midfield target, which by the report, looks to be Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey. The Gunners are aiming to bring in Partey as part of their summer rebuild under new manager Mikel Arteta.
Thomas Partey has previously been linked to another Premier League giant in Manchester United. The Red Devils might still be interested in the Atletico Madrid star, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer likely to look for another midfielder to add to the squad, with Nemanja Matic likely to move on in the summer while Paul Pogba might also call time on his Manchester United return.
26-year-old Partey has been an insoluble part of the Atletico Madrid first-team setup since breaking into the senior team in 2015. Partey has only missed three La Liga games this season – one due to an injury and another due to a suspension – and has provided two crucial goals in the league so far.
Being reported in Spain that “two clubs in the Premier League, that are used to paying 80 million for central defenders” have made contact with Thomas Partey’s representatives.
Liverpool paid around 80 million for Van Dijk
Man Utd paid 80 million for Maguire https://t.co/9XFJAqEzIS— Jonas Giæver (@CheGiaevara) February 29, 2020
Beyond the numbers though, lie the true identification of Partey’s game. The 26-year-old is a ball retriever and asserts control in midfield for his team while being ready to intercept the play not fearing the potential of sanctions and cards. But, his passing is an underrated aspect of his game, which leaves little wonder as to why Arsenal are in for him.
Mikel Arteta has taken over from Unai Emery but their position in the Premier League hasn’t improved much, with Arsenal still languishing at 10th, albeit with a game in hand.
Mesut Ozil has made a comeback under Arteta and Joe Willock has also maintained his status as a regular. But, it is Dani Ceballos who has really struggled to make much of an impression and is unlikely to be made a permanent part of Arsenal come the end of his loan spell.
Arsenal will look to reinforce midfield in the summer, especially if they fail to qualify for Europe, which might make few stars leave. Partey’s addition could be the laying of a strong foundation for the rebuild to come. £42 million though, might be a chunk of the transfer kitty, given that they are likelier to miss out on Europe right now than not. Partey might just be worth the risk.
