Arsenal have been chasing Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey for some time now and it looks like the Gunners are finally set to sign him – as per reports.
The 26-year-old has been a key figure for Atletico over the past couple of years but right now he has a release clause of just €50 million which the Gunners are expected to trigger in the coming few weeks.
While Diego Simeone is not keen at letting Thomas Partey leave in the summer but now in an ultimate revelation, the player’s father has come out to claim that there have been talks with Arsenal over a possible move to the English Premier League.
Jacob Partey told a Ghana-based radio station, as reported: “I called my son after hearing the rumours and he told me that the rumours are true.
“He told me they are holding talks between him and Arsenal. It all depends on the offer Atletico are demanding.
“If he goes to Arsenal, fine, they have a lot of supporters in Ghana. I will be happy if he decides to move to Arsenal. What they are discussing now is how Atletico will release him.”
Thomas Partey the perfect replacement for Xhaka?
Granit Xhaka for the most part of this season has played in that defensive midfielder’s role for Arsenal and Thomas Partey will undoubtedly be a big upgrade from the Swiss international.
Despite being a poor show, Mikel Arteta has had no other option but to keep using him as a defensive screen over the past couple of months which makes the pursuit of Partey even more important.
During the ongoing season, Thomas has 35 games across all competitions for Atletico and his performance against Liverpool in the Champions League last month caught everyone’s attention.
The midfielder still has three years left on his current deal and as per reports, his current side are planning to offer him a new deal with an upgraded release clause.
But if his father’s statements are to be believed then Arsenal are surely in the race to sign the player during the summer so now we just have to wait and see how this whole transfer saga pans out.
Also, if Thomas Partey is indeed on his way to the Emirates, Mikel Arteta might just look to offload some of his current central midfielders at the end of the season.
