Thomas Partey ''wants to play'' for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta is looking for a way to make the transfer happen.
Partey has a release clause of £43 million (€50m) in his current contract at Atletico and that might be a problem for the Gunners.
The Ghanaian has been one of the key players for Diego Simeone's side in the recent years.
However, Mikel Arteta is looking for a player just like the 26-year-old midfielder, as Arsenal definitely need a reinforcement in that area.
Partey is valued at £48m,meaning that he is the 20th most expensive player in La Liga and the 99th most expensive player in all the top-five European leagues.
We all know that it is unlikely for Arsenal to pay that money, especially in the current situation where they will lost lots of money due to the coronavirus.
The Gunners are set to miss out on match day revenue for the rest of the current season and potentially large portions if not the entirety of next season, too.
However, Partey has a £44m release clause in his contract and we assume that this would be how Arsenal are going to sign him in the summer.
Other possibility is a swap deal. Diego Simeone has been an admirer of Alexandre Lacazette for a long time and he even was on the verge to sign him in 2017.
However, even with paying the release clause in Partey's contract there is still one big problem ahead of them and that is a Champions League football.
Arsenal need to play in the Champions League in order to have a chance in signing the 26-year-old Ghanaian.
The Gunners are currently 5 points away from a spot in any European football with a game in hand, though that is away to Manchester City.
However, Partey is Arsenal main priority for this summer transfer window, as he has great abilities both defensively and offensively.
