A £55 million player is set for talks over his future soon, as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta attempts to convince him to make the move to north London.
Edu and Arteta identify new central midfielders for Arsenal
Arteta, assisted by sporting director Edu Gaspar, has identified central midfield as a key position to reinforce this summer.
Arsenal make approach to sign Real Madrid ace who Perez tipped to be a star
He’s very highly thought of at the Bernabeu.
ByEmilio GalantiniJul 11, 2024
While the Gunners reached an agreement with Jorginho to extend the Italian's stay until the end of next season, uncertainty surrounds the future of fellow midfielder Thomas Partey after a season of limited appearances and injury problems.
The Ghanaian managed just 14 Premier League cameos last season, and his fitness issues even resulted in Partey missing the Africa Cup of Nations.
Appearances
115
Goals
5
Assists
4
Bookings
24
Red cards
1
Minutes played
7,794
On a reported £200,000-per-week, making him one of the club's highest earners, Partey is now also in the final 11 months of his contract at Arsenal – meaning Edu and co may well choose to sell him this summer rather than lose the 31-year-old on a free next year.
Partey is attracting interest from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, so Arsenal do have suitors for him. If the former Atletico Madrid ace does elect to part company with Arsenal, then Edu and co will need to source a replacement who can complement both Jorginho and Declan Rice in midfield.
Arsenal are not short of targets in that respect, with a few interesting midfielders linked recently. Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi is a top target for Arsenal, according to some reports, as is Everton's Amadou Onana. Former Toffees CEO Keith Wyness even claimed that Arsenal discussions have been held for Onana.
“Onana is one who I think will go. I believe from my sources there is interest from Arsenal, and that’s something which could materialise," said Wyness to Football Insider.
“He’s exactly the kind of player Arteta likes, and I’ve heard certainly that negotiations are ongoing. We’d all like to keep Branthwaite. The way Man United and Ratcliffe have handled that negotiation has been very poor."
Another name on Arsenal's radar is Zubimendi's teammate, Mikel Merino, who has been a hero for Spain at Euro 2024. He scored the winner against tournament hosts Germany in the quarter-finals, and has been praised for his performances overall.
Merino set for talks over Sociedad future as Arteta tempts him to join Arsenal
According to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Arteta is personally trying to convince Merino to join Arsenal, and they have a real belief they can prise him away from the Reale Arena in these coming weeks.
The former Newcastle United man is focused on the looming Euros final against England on Sunday, but after that all-important showdown, Merino will sit down with Sociedad for talks over his future.
The 28-year-old's contract, according to Mundo, includes a £55 million release clause. However, with his deal set to expire next summer as things stand, he could go for considerably less.
