Five clubs line up move for £200k-p/w Arsenal ace Arteta called “important”

Arsenal could be set to wave goodbye to one of their stars as five clubs circle for his signature, according to a recent report.

Arsenal begin season strongly

Mikel Arteta’s side sit fourth in the Premier League over the international break as they look to go one better than their back-to-back runner-up finishes this time around.

Taking maximum points from their opening two games against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa, they held onto a 1-1 draw with Brighton in their most recent outing after Declan Rice was shown a controversial red card with his side leading 1-0 at the time.

Now, they must face Tottenham Hotspur in a fiery north London derby without their record signing, while summer addition Mikel Merino is also sidelined through a shoulder injury, which leaves Arteta short of options in the middle of the pitch.

It is likely to see a pairing of Jorginho and Thomas Partey behind Martin Odegaard, though both Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have shown the technical ability to play in midfield if required. Another option would be to replace Rice with Kai Havertz, and opt for a much more attacking side with just one “defensive” midfielder on the pitch.

But attention in some quarters remains on transfers despite the UK window shutting amid renewed transfer links surrounding Jorginho and Kieran Tierney. And some are already plotting for the summer of 2025.

Five clubs chase Arsenal man

That comes as CaughtOffside report that five clubs are chasing Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey next summer as they look for a cheap move. Partey was linked with a move away from north London over the summer, but stayed despite reports of Saudi interest.

Quizzed on his midfielder at the end of last season, Arteta dubbed him a “top player” and admitted that Arsenal “need him”.

“He’d better have his head here, because we are playing for big things. That’s what we expect. We need him. He’s a top player and important for us, you could see the other day on the pitch the impact that he can have for us.”

Asked about a new contract, Arteta added: “He’s our player, he’s got one more year’s contract and I’m really happy with him.”

But no contract has yet been forthcoming, meaning that Partey is down to the final 12 months of his £200,000 a week deal in north London, a deal that puts him among the club’s top earners.

And a report claims that “he’s on the radar of some big names in Europe”, with Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona all named as potential destinations alongside Saudi sides Al Hilal and Al Ahli.

Perhaps crucially, it is added that Juventus hold “the most concrete interest” and are ready to offer him a three-year contract in Turin, an offer he is unlikely to see in north London.

Having yet to string together an injury-free campaign during his four years at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal may well decide they are best cutting their losses on the £45m signing, and his departure could allow them to sign a younger profile in his position.