Highlights
Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has a “very good chance to stay” this summer as the club are yet to receive the amount that they want for him, according to transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.
Is Thomas Partey leaving Arsenal this summer?
It’s been an outstanding transfer window for the red side of North London so far this summer as the club look to go one better than runners-up next season.
So far, the club have spent £65m on signing German international Kai Havertz from cross-city rivals Chelsea, £34m to secure the signature of Dutch defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax and a whopping £105m to finally lure Declan Rice from West Ham United – a new record for a British player.
In total, Mikel Arteta’s side have spent around £204m on signings this summer. With the spending set to continue, current players are going to have to make way, with Ghanian international Partey looking, at one point, as if his time at the Emirates had come to an end.
At the end of June, it was reported by CBS Sports that the 30-year-old had garnered interest from three clubs in the Saudi Pro League, a report backed up by the Express’ Ryan Taylor just two days later.
Despite all this interest from the Middle East, if Partey were to leave this summer, he has always favoured a move that keeps him in European football, with Juventus being his primary destination of choice, per CBS Sports.
That said, the Old Lady are reluctant to stump up the fee that Arsenal would want for their star player, and with that being the case, the club are more than happy to keep the 6-foot-1 titan for another season, per Fabrizio Romano.
He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:
“They were open to letting him go, but only in case of a big proposal. At the moment, they have been approached by Saudi clubs but not reaching the €40m-€45m (£34m-£38m) they wanted for Thomas Partey and also Juventus three weeks ago asked for Thomas, but they don’t want to pay that money.”
“At the moment, the feeling internally at the club is that Thomas Partey has very good chances to stay at Arsenal and to continue at Arsenal because no one is putting on the table €40m to €45m.
“So very good chances for Thomas to stay and it means Arsenal have gone quiet on Romeo Lavia.”
Who else has Arsenal been linked to this summer?
While the club have been focusing on big-money signings so far, Edu and Co look like they’ll pull off their annual foray into the Brazilian league once again this year to sign the highly rated Gremio midfielder Bitello.
According to Italian publication TuttoMercato Web (via the Sun), the Gunners are set to complete the signing of the 23-year-old later this week for a fee of around £6.8m.
The 23-year-old has had a decent season so far this year, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in 36 matches for the Rei de Copas.
Another attacking player that has been touted for a move to Islington is Ajax’s Mohammed Kudus, a versatile player who has filled in at striker, right-wing, attacking midfield and central midfield over recent seasons, and would add some extra bite to Arteta’s midfield.
However, Edu should get a move on if he wants to land the Ghanaian international as reports suggest that Chelsea are also interested in Kudus and are currently slightly ahead in the race to sign him.
It looks like it’s set to be another exhilarating year for Arsenal fans next season, and with Partey staying and the team getting stronger, they might just go one better than they did last year.
