Sky Sport Italia reporter updates on Arsenal’s interest in Thomas Partey

Sky Sport Italia reporter Gianluca di Marzio has confirmed that Arsenal are interested in landing the signature of Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid during the summer transfer window. The Gunners have lacked the presence of a tough tackling midfielder for a number of years and they are keen to address the issue when the transfer window reopens.


In a Q&A session on Sky Sports News, Di Marzio acknowledged the Gunners’ interest in the Ghanaian midfielder. However, he added that the deal won’t be straightforward for the Gunners, given Atletico won’t sell him for anything less than his release clause, he told: “Arsenal want him a lot. Every Atletico Madrid player is in the market. So, it depends a lot on the offer. Atletico are open to selling every player if the offer is good. It also depends on budget – how much Arsenal can afford? And how much Atletico want? Atletico will want money, so it is difficult to see them doing a deal involving other players as part of it.”

Partey currently has a £45m release clause on his existing contract but the Spanish club are keen on rewarding him with a fresh deal in order to double the buy-out price. So far, they have been unsuccessful and that has caught the radar of the Gunners. Still, the Capital outfit are not in a position to pay the entire fee for the midfielder and they may have to sanction the departure of some players before making the move for the Ghanaian.

The financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic has hampered numerous clubs across the world. The Gunners have somewhat managed to ease the burden with the majority of the players accepting salary reduction of 12.5 per cent for the next 12 months. Aside from a defensive midfielder, the Gunners are aiming to recruit a central defender and a striker this summer.