Kevin Campbell says he would rather ‘keep’ Thomas Partey at Arsenal, but the ‘difficult’ transfer call might have to be made and that’s selling the midfielder this summer.
The Arsenal legend claims that if somebody put ‘£40 million’ on the table for Thomas Partey, then that offer should be accepted, as he told the Highbury Squad.
As a result, he would be happy to see Moises Caicedo brought in, but there is a long way to go before that happens.
With Declan Rice already through the doors, then Mikel Arteta has a player that can play that Partey role if he were to walk out of the door tomorrow.
But, at the end of the day, he was a key player for Arsenal last season, even if he did slip up during the final few weeks of the season.
Added to that, it also needs to be noted that the £200k-a-week star (Spotrac) is 30, so a big call has to be made here, with Campbell sharing his thoughts.
“We spoke about Thomas Partey and the experience in midfield,” said Campbell. “But if somebody is going to give £40 million for him and you can bring in somebody else, then that might be the business.
“Losing Partey might be a difficult one. Would I rather keep him? Yes, I would rather keep Partey. But if somebody is going to offer you great money for him, then I think you have to do the business.”
Arsenal midfield next season
Whether Partey stays or goes, it will be interesting to see how Arsenal set up in the middle of the park next season.
The Gunners have paid a lot for Kai Havertz, will he play as a number nine or that Granit Xhaka role? Added to that, if Partey leaves, then it makes things more interesting.
Either way, it makes life easier if Partey stays because Rice can sit beside him rather than having to fish for another big name if the Ghana star heads for the exit door.
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