According to Italian outlet Tuttojuve, Arsenal have been given the opportunity to sign Juventus star Arthur Melo in a swap move for Thomas Partey this summer.
The London giants are currently looking to reinforce their midfield department. They have their sights on signing West Ham United captain Declan Rice while Southampton’s Romeo Lavia is another target.
Arsenal’s move for Lavia appears to be dependent on Partey’s exit, and Tuttojuve report that Juventus have proposed to sign him in a deal that could see Arthur move the other way.
The Turin outfit currently value Partey and Arthur at £17 million and £34 million respectively, but Tuttojuve claim that there is the possibility of a direct swap with no fee involved.
Unlikely deal
Arthur was mentioned as a top target for Arsenal in January 2022, but negotiations did not materialise into a transfer. The Brazilian ended up joining Liverpool on loan last summer.
His time at the Merseyside outfit was a forgettable one. The 26-year-old picked up a thigh injury after just two games on the bench, and he only made his comeback in March this year.
Arthur ended up making just one substitute appearance under manager Jurgen Klopp, and this raises doubts whether another Premier League club would be interested in signing him.
The ex-Barcelona man is obviously gifted with superb distribution qualities, but he is not a tough tackling midfielder. Arsenal could prefer to replace Partey with a similar profile instead.
This could rule out the prospect of a swap agreement between the teams. Juventus could negotiate a straight-cash move, but Arsenal may command a higher fee to consider his departure.
Partey has £34 million bids from Saudi Arabian clubs. Arsenal will want Juventus to come close to that figure. The London club could decide to keep him if he is reluctant to move to the Middle East.
The Ghanaian star has two years remaining on his contract, and the club could prefer to keep hold of his services for another year before considering a knockdown price to sell him.
