Speaking recently on the Chasing Green Arrows YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano provided an update on Arsenal’s pursuit of Atletico Madrid defensive midfielder Thomas Partey.
It has been no secret over the summer transfer window that Mikel Arteta has been keen on a move for the 27-year-old, however, the midfielder’s €50 million (£45.8 million) release clause is thought to be a bit of a stumbling block for the north London side, with The Athletic reporting that the club ‘will be hopeful of negotiating a lower figure’ for Partey back in June.
The player’s release clause does not seem to have put Arsenal completely off the transfer, though, with the club still being heavily linked with a move for the £36 million-rated man, and with ESPN Uruguay recently reporting that Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira is ‘very close’ to joining Atletico in a separate deal, the argument could be made that this move has the potential to pave the way for an exit of Partey.
However, Romano recently claimed that Alvaro Morata’s seemingly impending move to Juventus could be bad news for Arsenal in their pursuit of Partey, as the journalist believes that Atletico will not be willing to sell another of their ‘top’ players in the current transfer window.
He said: “About Partey, [Arsenal] have to pay [the release] clause or nothing – Atletico Madrid have this mentality. So, if you want Atletico Madrid players, you have to pay the clause, and Partey’s [is] €50 million.
“So, at the moment, there are no negotiations because Atletico Madrid told Arsenal ‘if you want the player, you have to pay’, but I think after selling Morata to Juventus, Atletico Madrid won’t sell any other top player, so we have to see what will happen with Thomas.”
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From Romano’s comments, it is clear that the journalist is of the belief that Atletico will not be selling another of their ‘top’ players in the current window, which would certainly appear to dent Arsenal’s hopes of landing the Ghana international.
However, with a little while longer to go in the summer transfer window, there is still plenty of time for movement between clubs, and Arsenal’s potential move for Partey is a deal that we will certainly be keeping a close eye on over the coming weeks.