Thomas Partey and #039;hands in transfer request and#039; Amid the interest of the Champions League giant
Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has told Arsenal he wants to leave the club in January amid interest from Serie A giants Juventus.
The Ghana international was forced to move to Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli in the summer after Arsenal spent around £105million on Declan Rice.
Although Partey ended up staying in north London, he has since struggled for consistent game time, suffering a series of injuries since the season opener.
According to Italian publication Tutto Mercato, the 30-year-old informed the Gunners of his desire to leave the club during the January transfer window.
The publication claimed that Juventus are the best to sign Partey due to their need for a defensive midfielder. However, the player is said to be waiting for more options before making a decision, hoping for interest from the Premier League or La Liga.
Partey and his future in north London have dominated transfer talks this summer, with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta forced to insist the player is “very important” to the team.
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Asked if he expected Partey to stay, Arteta said: “Yes. Every time I have spoken to him, his desire is to stay with us. There is no (possible move) at all. – Thomas Partey is undoubtedly a very important player for us and for me. We want him in the team, that’s for sure.”
However, Arteta admitted in October that Partey and #039’s fitness was a “big concern” after it was claimed the midfielder could be out until December.
The Ghanaian has missed just seven games in five years at Atletico Madrid, but his time at Arsenal has been plagued by injuries over the past three years.
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However, if Arsenal allow Partey to leave, they may have to look at how he develops elsewhere.
Indeed, Gooners have looked at Granit Xhaka’s strong form at Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen this season and questioned whether the Swiss international was forced to leave the Emirates prematurely.