According to Spanish publication AS, Juventus may be planning a summer drive to recruit Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey. The Serie A heavyweights are allegedly prepared to add Arthur Melo in the deal, who was a January target for the Gunners.
According to the source, Arsenal sought to sign Arthur in January but the deal fell through.
Arthur is three years younger than Partey and, at 25, would be a good fit for Arteta’s transfer strategy.
The Spanish manager has been given the leeway to sign players who may not be the whole package today but have the potential to become stars in the future.
This summer, Juventus has unique needs in the transfer market. The Italian giants have lost their lustre in recent seasons and are eager to bolster their roster in order to reclaim their former glory. The central midfield is one of the primary areas they aim to strengthen.
While they have brought in two talented midfielders in Manuel Locatelli and Denis Zakaria since last summer, Massimiliano Allegri has been unable to deploy them adequately.
It might be due to the lack of a player who can operate plays behind those two.
Partey has been an important part of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal formation. The Ghanaian’s debut season was a mixed bag, with injuries and adjusting to life in the Premier League taking their toll.
However, the tall midfielder has made his mark with the Gunners, emerging as one of their most productive players this season.
Arteta expects Partey to be an essential component of his team next season and may not be willing to move him in the next window.
But, according to AS, there are issues between the player and the Arsenal boss, and hence the north Londoners may be prepared to sell the Ghanaian.
They also claim Arsenal has paid €35 million for the midfielder, which is much less than the amount they paid for him in 2020.
Managers are generally hesitant to recruit young players who aren’t ready for the first team since they are rarely given enough time to observe the youngster improve.
But, Arsenal have a real potential of constructing a good squad in a few years if they show trust in Arteta and retain him in charge for a lengthy period of time.
Although Arthur is no longer usually considered as a youth, especially in the current game, he is nearing the end of his peak but still has many years remaining in him.
So, it might just be a blessing in disguise for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal!
