There was a potentially interesting development for a reported Arsenal target this afternoon.
Thomas Partey, who the Gunners have been linked with on a regular basis since way back in March [The Telegraph], was left out of Atletico Madrid’s first XI for their Liga clash with Granada.
This is a player who started eight of Atleti’s nine Champions League games last season, including home and away wins over Liverpool earlier in the year.
He is – or at least was – a very big player for Diego Simeone but with the rumours about joining Arsenal continuing to swirl, being dropped to the bench could be significant.
Here’s how fans of the North London club reacted to his axe on Twitter:
Partey, who was booked, came on with 19 minutes left as Simeone’s side romped to a 6-1 victory.
With only nine days left in the transfer window, it remains to be seen if Arsenal will get a deal done.
It’s been widely reported that the Londoners want to include Lucas Torreira in the deal in an effort to knock the price down, but Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed earlier this week that the Spanish outfit will only sanction a permanent sale for the entire £45 million.
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