Arsenal are reportedly moving closer towards completing a transfer deal for Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey, according to Spanish publication La Razon
The 27-year-old has evolved into one of the most consistent players for Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid as his role steadily grew in importance. He forms a solid partnership with Saul Niguez in the centre of midfield, with his pace and skill making him a deadly player. He has already played 40 games this season conveying his vitality and durability for the Spanish club.
The report in La Razon claims that the North London club are close to finalizing an acquisition of the midfield enforcer.
A big reason why is the proposed return of Dani Ceballos to Real Madrid at the end of his loan spell. The Ghana international is under contract with Atletico until 2023, but the Emirates club can sign him if they trigger his release clause, which is reportedly valued at £47 million.
La Razon further claim that the La Liga outfit will not sell the midfielder if this valuation is not met. They will stay firm on this as Partey still has three years left on his current deal.
It has been a tough season for the Gunners as they currently sit in 9th place and are 11 points behind 4th placed Chelsea. One bit of good news is that they have made it to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
This gives them a shot of winning a trophy, and if they want to really improve the squad for the next season, getting a player like Partey will be a big help.
A potential combination of Partey and Granit Xhaka will be perfect for the style of play that manager Mikel Arteta prefers. Partey will offer the box-to-box energy that will link the midfield and attack with Xhaka free to sit at the base of the midfield.
Whether Arsenal can afford a fee like this will depend on if they can get back into the Champions League. If they do pull this off, it will be a real coup for the Gunners and one that will certainly make the fans happy.