Arsenal still have a lot to play for despite the end of the Premier League season. The Gunners finished the campaign in eighth, outside one of the European places.
However, Mikel Arteta’s side could still make it into the Europa League next season if they win the FA Cup final against Chelsea this weekend.
A win at Wembley will solve a lot of Arsenal’s problems. The Gunners, along with European football, will get a much-needed cash injection for making it into the Europa League which will give their transfer plans a big boost.
It has been no secret that Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey is Arsenal’s priority transfer target this summer. The Telegraph reported back in May that both Arsenal and the Ghanaian were interested in the move and that there is a good chance that it might happen.
However, the biggest stumbling block will be Partey’s £45 million release clause. The Gunners cannot afford that much money at the moment and the figure might even prove to be too much even if they win the FA Cup this weekend.
Arsenal and Atletico Madrid have been in discussions for some time now. The Gunners are trying to bring the price down but Atleti are adamant that they want the whole £45 million.
Libertad Digital reveal today that Arsenal have officially told Atletico Madrid that they will not pay Partey’s release clause this summer. The figure is too high for the Gunners and if the report is to be believed, they will not fork out so much money on him.
Arsenal can still sign Partey
That, however, doesn’t mean that a move is completely off the table. The report says that Arteta is still very keen on Partey and Arsenal might try different ways to get him.
Swap deals are expected to be a common theme this summer and Arsenal have quite a few players they can use. It will be interesting to see if Atleti agree to an exchange this summer. If they don’t, the Gunners’ hopes of signing Partey will likely be over.
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