Unsettled Arsenal star holds transfer meeting with potential buyers who think he’d restore their dominance

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has met with representatives of Juventus, who want to sign him in 2024, according to reports.

Due to a combination of injuries, new arrivals and changing tactics, Partey has not enjoyed the same importance to Arsenal in recent weeks as he did last season. In fact, he has not started a Premier League match in his preferred position of defensive midfield in 2023-24.

Out of contract at the end of next season, the 30-year-old is facing an uncertain future. Recently, Partey has been linked with a transfer to Juventus, who need to reinforce their midfield after bans for Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli.

Fabrizio Romano has claimed Juventus are actually in the market for a more attacking midfielder. However, links with Partey are persisting across the football media.

According to an update from Foot Mercato, there has now been a meeting between Partey and Juventus officials to test the water for a potential transfer.

Juventus plan to tempt the Arsenal star into accepting a move to Italy, believing he can help them restore a position of dominance in Serie A.

Not since the 2019-20 season have Juventus won the Scudetto, despite clinching the title nine times in a row up to then.

This season looks like a better time for them to challenge again, since they have no distractions with European football and they are already second in the table, so they want to give themselves an extra boost to push Inter in what seems like a two-horse race to take Napoli’s crown.

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With that in mind, they are stepping up their interest in targets like Partey, who could complement the likes of Manuel Locatelli and Adrien Rabiot in what remains available of Max Allegri’s midfield.

It would be the Ghana international’s first experience of Italian football, since he only previously played in the Spanish leagues before joining Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020.

Partey one of three major Juventus targets

But that does not seem to be too off-putting for Juventus, especially since they are simultaneously pursuing a midfielder who is currently active in Serie A: Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski.

Another key target for Juventus is Sassuolo winger Domenico Berardi, with the Old Lady ready to accelerate all three pursuits soon – presumably in view of the January transfer window.

A departure from Arsenal for Partey would leave Declan Rice, Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny as the main holding midfielders available to Mikel Arteta.

Jorginho and Elneny are both due to be out of contract at the end of the season, so it is a department facing further transition after the summer sale of Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen.

Xhaka was a dependable regular starter alongside Partey at the base of Arsenal’s midfield last season, but if the latter is approving of the Juventus proposal, the position might have a completely new look by this time next year.

The only question, which the French report does not address, is how Juventus might be able to sign Partey.

Previously, there have been claims that they would prefer an initial loan deal, whereas Arsenal have been asking for a transfer fee in the region of €30m (£26.3m).