Thomas Partey set for Arsenal transfer talks as £105m Rice deal edges closer

Thomas Partey will hold talks with Arsenal when he returns to London Colney this week as speculation increases over his future.

The midfielder flew back to England at the weekend for the start of pre-season and will soon link up with Mikel Arteta’s squad ahead of next week’s training camp in Germany.

And the 30-year-old will seek some clarity over Arsenal’s long-term plans for him, with the north London club understood to be open to letting him leave this summer, should a suitable offer arrive.

Partey has two years left on his contract with the Gunners and, despite some reports, has never told the club he wants to leave.

One of the main reasons the Ghana international left Atletico Madrid for Arsenal in 2020 was to help get the club back into the Champions League and, now that he has done that, he would like to represent the Gunners in Europe’s elite club competition.

But with Arsenal’s club record £105 million deal for West Ham captain Declan Rice finally edging towards completion, Partey’s future has increasingly been called into question.
Juventus are keeping tabs on the midfielder’s situation, as are a number of clubs in Saudi Arabia, but Arsenal are not yet believed to have received any official bids.

Arteta is looking to shake-up his midfield options this summer. Kai Havertz has already arrived from Chelsea, while Rice’s move from West Ham is expected to soon be finalised.
Granit Xhaka is set to move on as part of that overhaul, with a £21.5m deal being agreed with Bayer Leverkusen for the Switzerland international.