This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
Published on June 24, 2020, Arsenal's interest in Thomas Partey has been an open secret, with the Gunners expected to land the Ghanaian midfielder in a £45m deal from Atletico Madrid.
Atletico are resigned to Partey's departure, and the club is already looking to identify potential replacements. The combative midfielder played a crucial role in Diego Simeone's side knocking Liverpool out of the Champions League in March.
Mikel Arteta sees Partey's £45m release clause as a bargain, with a central midfielder on his shopping list. The Gunners have the likes of Matteo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka to pick from, but Partey would add another dimension to the team.
La Razon understands that leaving a side who regularly compete in Europe is not likely to be an issue for Partey, who has been a mainstay in the Atletico XI for several years and played in their 2016 Champions League Final loss.
Arteta is set to shape his squad at the Emirates, having arrived in December to succeed Unai Emery. The loan signing of Pablo Mari in January is the only new arrival he's sanctioned thus far.
