Arsenal’s priority transfer target this summer, if reports are to be believed, is Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey. The Telegraph claimed in March that the Gunners were considering a move for the Ghanaian and multiple reports have backed that since.
La Razon recently claimed that it was Mikel Arteta’s dream to sign Partey along with fellow La Liga star Marc Roca. All signs point towards an Arsenal bid this summer but there is a small complication now.
Marca claim that Partey has injured his thigh muscle and is set to be out for several weeks as a result. The midfielder is also a huge doubt for Atleti’s Champions League quarter-final clash against RB Leipzig which is a big blow for them.
Blow for Arsenal?
That could change a lot ahead of this summer’s transfer window. If the injury is a serious one, Arsenal might even pull out of the deal, but a common injury could help the Gunners convince Atletico to lower their asking price.
It will be interesting to see how things pan out in the coming months. Atletico beat defending European champions Liverpool in the last round and they will be hoping to go far in the competition.
That means a decision on Partey’s future is unlikely to be made until Atleti bow out of the competition or go on to win it. Arsenal will have to wait for another month to have a chance to get their man but will his injury change their mind?
Gunners supporters don’t think so. Arsenal have signed a number of injured players in the past. Kim Kallstrom is arguably the most famous one, while Denis Suarez and Cedric Soares also came in with issues.
That doesn’t mean that Partey will not be a success if he comes in. Tierney arrived with a serious injury, recovered from it, got injured again and has come back to be one of the Gunners’ best players.
Arsenal fans have no reservations about Partey despite his injury. Some Gunners supporters even joked that he is destined to move to the Emirates because of his fitness problem, which shows there is no concern about his thigh ahead of this summer window.
Here is how a few of them reacted on Twitter:
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