Clubs from Saudi Arabia will hold more talks with Arsenal about signing Thomas Partey “within the next few days”, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Gunners are believed to be open to selling the Ghanaian international this summer but, writing in his column for Caught Offside, Romano said the player is not keen on moving to the Middle East:
“I’m told Saudi clubs will try to approach Thomas Partey again in the next few days. On the player side, the priority remains European football and he wants to continue in Europe. Let’s see if Saudi clubs will be able to change his mind. As previously reported, it will also be important to persuade Arsenal because they want an important fee to let Partey go.”
It remains to be seen what sort of fee the London club are looking for, but they are not expected to recoup the full £45m that they paid Atletico Madrid for Partey almost three years ago.
Even so, Saudi Arabia is probably the Gunners’ preference, even if it isn’t the player’s, as they are probably prepared to pay a higher amount than European teams.
Juventus have been linked with a move for Partey over the past month but the Serie A side were reportedly only prepared to pay in the region of €18m (£15.3m) to €20m (£17m).
Why are Arsenal looking to sell Partey?
It should be pointed out that Mikel Arteta’s side have not placed the Ghanaian on the transfer list but there is a willingness to offload him if the price is right.
There are a couple of reasons why the club is believed to be prepared to let Partey go. He turned 30 last month and it is likely that his value will only begin to depreciate. On top of that, the midfielder only has two years remaining on his contract so, if he doesn’t sign an extension, this summer is seen as a good time to sell in order to make the most money.
