Arsenal ready to use Thomas Partey + £80m cash in transfer deal to land £120m highly rated forward in January,Edu is pushing hard to make deal happen in January
Arsenal are open to selling one of their fringe players in order to sign a replacement who is already in the Premier League, according to a fresh report that has emerged.
Arsenal outgoing transfers
The Gunners sanctioned the sales of 14 players during the previous window, with eight of those being on a permanent basis, while the remaining six were sent out on loan for the rest of the season in order to increase their experience and game time.
Edu and Mikel Arteta also have Jorginho, Mohamed Elneny and Cedric Soares who will have reached the expiration of their deals upon the conclusion of the current campaign, so they could additionally be heading for the exit door in January (Arsenal contracts).
In the top-flight this season, Thomas Partey has made just three starts and one substitute appearance (WhoScored – Partey statistics), and while the defensive midfielder has been sidelined with both groin and hamstring injuries, he’s not currently happy.
Back in October, Ghana’s international was reported to be frustrated with his lack of game time and more specifically his inability to nail down a regular place in the starting line-up, though if the following update is to be believed, he won’t have to put up with it for much longer.
Arteta happy to get rid of Partey
According to Football Insider, Arsenal are open to selling Partey next month in order to both raise the necessary funds and make room to sign Fulham’s Joao Palhinha, who has emerged as a target.
“Arsenal are keen on a potential move for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha in 2024, sources have told Football Insider. However, a well-placed source has told Football Insider that the Gunners are likely to have to move Thomas Partey on before a deal for the Portugal international becomes possible.”
“Sensational” Palhinha an upgrade on “useless” Partey
While Partey hasn’t been given a fair chance to prove what he’s capable of this term, Arsenal will feel they are making completely the right decision to let him leave in January given the upgrade in defensive solidity with Palhinha, who former Fulham defender Stephen Kelly says is “sensational” and “amazing”.
Arteta’s 30-year-old veteran also isn’t getting any younger either, and when he has been handed the opportunity to showcase his talents this term, he has failed to make any kind of positive impression that will increase the chances of him staying in the team.
Journalist Josh Bunting has previously criticised him, saying: “Thomas Partey is the most frustrating player, every game he will try that type of shot from range and blazes over the crossbar, it’s just so careless and wasteful, good breaking down the play but absolutely useless in the attacking phases of play.”
Furthermore, Partey pockets £200k-per-week which is more than the likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal salaries), so Edu and Arteta need to get him off the books and use the extra cash to generate funds towards new signings in 2024, be it Palhinha or an alternative target.
