Thomas Partey remains the top summer target for Arsenal, but the club would need to sell before they could activate the midfielder’s release clause.

Alaves' Spanish midfielder Pere Pons (R) challenges Atletico Madrid's Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey during the Spanish League football match between Atletico Madrid and Alaves at the Wanda Metropolitan stadium in Madrid on June 27, 2020. (Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP) (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)
Alaves’ Pere Pons (R) challenges Atletico Madrid’s Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey on June 27, 2020. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)

Goal report that Arsenal remain ‘extremely interested’ in signing Thomas Partey this summer, but they’d have to pay the player’s release clause to land him.

Their attempt to convince Atletico to agree to a swap deal involving cash and Matteo Guendouzi didn’t work. Diego Simeone’s side are insisting they’ll only sell for €50m. At this stage, Arsenal say they don’t have the money to offer that.

The good news is that Partey is willing to wait and keen on a switch. If Arsenal can make the sales they need to rustle up €50m, or agree an alternative deal with Atletico (unlikely), it doesn’t look like anything else will be a problem.

In terms of raising funds, selling a fellow midfielder like Guendouzi, Lucas Torreira or Mohamed Elneny is Arsenal’s best bet. Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac are also on the market, though I’m not sure how much they’d bring in.

Calum Chambers could probably get a decent fee if he goes to another English club. Mesut Özil continues to refuse to budge.

At least we know Arsenal are still on the market for a midfielder, despite re-loaning Dani Ceballos.