Thomas Partey is keen to join Arsenal this summer but will not force a move away from Atletico Madrid if the Gunners are unable to trigger his £43million buyout clause, according to reports.
Mikel Arteta has already managed to sign Willian from Chelsea on a free transfer and completed the £27million acquisition of Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille yesterday from Lille.
Partey has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates in recent months but Arsenal are struggling to meet the player’s buyout clause, with Atletico Madrid adamant that they will not let the midfielder leave for anything less.
Arsenal did offer Matteo Guendouzi plus £22.7million for Partey’s services earlier this summer but the La Liga club rejected the bid.
According to Goal (via Metro), Partey is attracted by the prospect of a move to Arsenal but the 27-year-old is happy to remain at Atletico if a deal cannot be struck.
It has also been suggested that Arsenal’s former head of international recruitment, Francis Cagigao, had been encouraging the Gunners’ hierarchy to make a move for Partey before being let go by the club last month.
Arsenal will have to offload several existing members of the squad in order to raise funds for a move for Partey, with the likes of Sead Kolasinac, Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin, Lucas Torreira and Emiliano Martinez all in talks over potential exits from the Emirates.
