Partey makes transfer preference clear as Man Utd tipped to sign Arsenal star

07 July 2023 , 08:12

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Partey makes transfer preference clear as Man Utd tipped to sign Arsenal star

Thomas Partey wants to join Juventus - despite Paul Ince urging Manchester United to make a move for the Arsenal midfielder.

The Ghana international, 30, will be allowed to leave the Emirates this summer if the price is right. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants to revamp his midfield and has already allowed cult hero Granit Xhaka to join Bayer Leverkusen in a £21.5million deal.

The Gunners are on the verge of announcing the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham in a £105m transfer. As it stands, Rice will likely partner Partey in the heart of Arsenal's midfield next season, but the latter could be on his way if someone stumps up the cash.

It's believed Arsenal want around £30m for Partey, who has two years left on his contract. Several clubs in Saudi Arabia are thought to be interested in the former Atletico Madrid star, but he would prefer a move to Italian giants Juventus.

Thomas Partey could leave Arsenal this summer (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

That's according to CBS Sports, who claim Partey's representatives have informed clubs in Saudi Arabia that their client has no interest in leaving European football. Despite Partey's desire to join Juventus, the Serie A club have not submitted an official bid yet.

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Arsenal would need to find a replacement for Partey if he leaves the Emirates this summer, despite the presence of Jorginho, Fabio Vieira, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny. Potential targets include Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.

Both of those two players could prove too expensive for the Gunners. Brighton want £100m for Caicedo because they believe he's in the same league as Rice, while Southampton's price tag for Lavia is £50m.

Lavia, 19, made 29 Premier League appearances for the Saints last season. Southampton will not sell him on the cheap after paying Manchester City an initial £10.5m for his services a year ago. They also owe Man City 20 per cent of any future sale.

Rumours of Partey's desire to join Juventus have appeared after Paul Ince urged his former employers Man Utd to take a look at the midfielder. Speaking to Betway, Ince told Erik ten Hag he's needs someone with "legs" in central midfield.

"I look at Casemiro, [Bruno] Fernandes, Christian Eriksen, great players that they are, they're still crying out for that one who's got the legs," said Ince. "Basically, a younger version of Casemiro, which isn't going to be cheap.

"Obviously, there's a lot of talk about Caicedo. I like Franck Kessie at Barcelona. He's not getting enough game time. There's also talk about Thomas Partey leaving Arsenal. You think about the first six months of the season, Partey was absolutely fantastic.

"Jorginho came in and, for some reason, he stopped getting games. That's when Arsenal started losing and drawing games. I'd be looking at someone like him or Kessie."

Tom Blow