Thomas Partey has rejected a move to Saudi Arabia, however initial talks have taken place with Juventus over a potential move this summer.
Thomas Partey was one of Mikel Arteta’s first signings after he became Arsenal manager in December 2019. The Gunners paid his release clause of £43million as he made the switch from Atletico Madrid to London in order to help the club achieve Champions League football. It took longer than expected but three years later Arsenal are finally back in Europe’s elite competition, however Thomas Partey might not be around to experience it.
The Ghanian midfielder is currently attracting a lot of attention from clubs around Europe and the Middle East. Two Serie A clubs are said to be interested in signing Partey this summer as well as AS Monaco. Arsenal are willing to listen to offers for the midfielder as long as their valuation of £40million is met and they bring in a replacement beforehand.
According to CBS Soccer, Thomas Partey’s camp have informed interested clubs from Saudi Arabia that the midfielder is currently not looking to move to the country this summer. However Juventus want to sign him and initial dialogue has taken place between the club and the experienced midfielder.
Declan Rice is set to join the Gunners this week after Arsenal agreed a record-breaking deal for a British player with West Ham United which will begin the midfield rebuild ahead of next season. However if Thomas Partey leaves it’s expected Mikel Arteta will want to bring in another midfielder, alongside Rice, with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia at the top of the list.
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The 19-year-old Belgian picked up many plaudits this season, however his impressive performances were unable to save Southampton from relegation, which will see the Saints play in the championship for the first time since 11/12 season.
Arsenal identify Romeo Lavia as Thomas Partey’s replacement if he is to leave the club this summer. [Image Credit: Getty Images]
Romeo Lavia joined Southampton from Manchester City’s academy at the beginning of last season for a fee of around £10million.
Lavia was one of the rare bright sights in a struggling Southampton team during the 2022/23 campaign and according to reports the player is open for a new challenge this summer as he wants to play in England’s top division. The Southampton midfielder is valued at around £40million.
This season Romeo Lavia made 28 appearances for Southampton, scoring once, which is a vital amount of experience gained at just 19-years-old.
After announcing the signings of Jurriën Timber and Declan Rice this week, Arsenal will turn their attention to outgoings before bringing in any new signings. However if Romeo Lavia is still available later in the window then the Gunners could end up making a move for the young star, especially if Thomas Partey is to move to Italy.
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