Arsenal are reportedly considering a summer approach for Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey, who has a £45 million release clause.
According to a report by Daily Telegraph, Arsenal have set their sights on Thomas Partey, who is high on manager Mikel Arteta’s wishlist, over a move in the summer transfer window. The Ghanaian midfielder has a £45 million release clause in his contract with La Liga giants Atletico Madrid.
Thomas Partey joined Atletico Madrid in 2012, moving away from homeland Ghana while still in his teens. The player was quickly moved to the reserves side in 2013 and after successful loan spells with RCD Mallorca and Almeria in consecutive seasons, he broke into the La Liga heavyweights’ first-team setup early in the 2015-16 season.
Over four years later, Partey is one of the first names on the team sheet at Wanda Metropolitano, playing a key role in Los Rojiblancos‘ defensively astute performances. In fact, the 26-year-old has played every game when available this season and was colossal as Liverpool were booted out of the Champions League this week. His exploits have now attracted various clubs, including Arsenal.
The Gunners are in yet another transitional period following the appointment of Mikel Arteta as the new head coach towards the end of 2019. Arsenal have already looked much improved defensively in the first few months under Arteta, but upgrades still need to be made to make them one of the more solid teams in the Premier League.
One of the glaring missing links in the current squad is that of a defensive midfielder, especially with Lucas Torreira not preferred as a regular by Arteta. Granit Xhaka has been used as a holding midfielder on a regular basis so far by the Arsenal manager, but the Swiss international does not possess the skills required to consistently excel in the role.
Partey’s ability as a ball winner combined with his prowess on the ball could help him seamlessly fit into Arteta’s system. Therefore, it is little surprise that the 26-year-old is being targeted by Arsenal for a move in the summer transfer window.
The Gunners, though, will have to meet his £45 million buyout clause in order to prise him away from La Liga giants Atletico Madrid. In fact, his release clause could attract a number of clubs, with the Colchoneros braced for approaches from different quarters in the summer.
However, convincing Partey to make the switch to the English capital might be a big ask for Arsenal, considering they are well off the European qualification places. To top it off, if Arsenal do miss out on European football, £45 million could cause a significant dent in their budget, judging by the amounts that have been set aside for transfers in recent years.
For now, it looks like Arsenal are serious with their interest in Partey, whose economical buyout clause will make him a big target for many clubs, which might also include Manchester United. It now remains to be seen if a summer move sees the light of the day.
