Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey has indicated that he is keen on making the move to Arsenal this summer despite the fresh interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Ghana international has been an influential player for Atletico in the centre of the park and he has made 174 appearances for them since his debut in 2015.
He currently has more than three years remaining on his contract but his future with the club remains uncertain due to the £45m release clause in his deal.
In recent weeks, Partey has been regularly linked with a move to the Premier League with the Gunners and it has been reported that he would be open to joining the north London club.
According to Ghana Soccernet, Paris Saint-Germain are now understood to have entered the race for his signature and they are prepared to meet the financial requirements of Atletico.
However, the 26-year-old is said to have no interest in making the move to the French top-flight and he has told his advisors ‘in clear terms’ that he wants to join Mikel Arteta’s side.
The Gunners are due to part ways with Dani Ceballos when his loan contract from Real Madrid expires during the summer and they are unlikely to retain his services for next season.
Hence, the club are likely to look into a possible replacement but it is unclear whether they can afford to trigger Partey’s buy-out clause amid the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The capital outfit may have to consider player exits to recoup the funds and the likes of Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Shkodran Mustafi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan could head through the exit door.
Elsewhere, there has been the suggestion of a swap deal involving Partey and Alexandre Lacazette but the latter recently dismissed speculation from a source, which had linked him with Atletico.
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