Arsenal have set a hugely ambitious asking price for Thomas Partey amid their search for a new central midfielder, according to reports.
Partey has been on Arsenal’s books since October 2020, when the Gunners paid Atletico Madrid £45million to sign him. Since then, Partey has made 111 appearances for Arsenal, chipping in with five goals and four assists.
When fit, the Ghana international has proven himself to be a reliable performer at the highest level. The trouble for Arsenal is that he often struggles with injury and fitness problems.
Partey’s issues have gone from bad to worse this season, as he has been limited to 12 appearances across all competitions due to groin and hamstring injuries.
Partey is now back fit, but his long-term absence has shown manager Mikel Arteta that Arsenal must land a new defensive midfielder this summer.
The North London side are huge admirers of Douglas Luiz, but even with Aston Villa’s Profit and Sustainability concerns it will be tricky to land the Brazilian.
Instead, Arsenal are likely to raid Real Sociedad for Martin Zubimendi, who has made a name for himself as a top No 6 in La Liga.
As per Football Insider, Arsenal are pretty much guaranteed to sell Partey and bring in a new player in his position as part of a midfield ‘shake-up’.
Arsenal give Thomas Partey shock price tag
Incredibly, Arsenal want to recoup as much as £20-25m when selling Partey this summer. While the 47-cap international is a great player in his own right, there are several reasons why this price tag is surprising.
The first is Partey’s injury record which, as previously mentioned, is likely to put off a host of clubs.
Secondly, Partey will soon enter the final 12 months of his Arsenal contract. This means his potential suitors could simply wait a year and sign him for nothing, rather than try to meet Arsenal’s lofty demands.
Plus, Partey is 30 years of age, and it might not be long before he starts to decline in the twilight years of his career. Paying £20-25m for someone of Partey’s profile would represent a big risk for clubs lower down the Premier League table.
The report does not mention where Partey might go next, though Juventus have regularly been linked with a move for him.
