Erik ten Hag has Casemiro as his first-choice in midfield while Fred provides backup, but Miguel Angel de Miguel Casas of Fichajes says Manchester United are on the hunt for an alternative this summer – Arsenal’s Thomas Partey.
The report says Arsenal are set to sign Declan Rice from West Ham and Mikel Arteta has given Partey the green light to find a new club. It’s reported that Man Utd have been alerted to the situation and are now plotting an audacious swoop for the Ghanaian international.
Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 and has gone on to make 99 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals with four assists. The 30-year-old has been a regular at the heart of the midfield, featuring 40 times across the board last season, but he might struggle to retain his place when Rice comes.
Arteta often used Partey as the sole defensive-midfielder with Granit Xhaka and Martin Odegaard slightly higher up the pitch, so it’s unknown whether he’d have Rice next to him or in his stead.
Mark Irwin of The Sun said days ago that Arsenal could let the Ghanaian international leave for £30m, but it’s hard to see Man United signing him. The Red Devils are likely to offload Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek, potentially looking to replace the pair, but Partey would only be a short-term option.
He’s unlikely to dethrone Casemiro from the starting eleven, so why would ten Hag want an Arsenal outcast to sit on the bench? Fred has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, but it makes little sense to offload him just to sign Partey.
There are other players in the United squad that need to be sold before Fred comes into the mix, so ten Hag might not deem this a priority.
Arsenal may not want to help a potential title rival in the Premier League either, so they could prefer interest coming from overseas. With Xhaka leaving and Jorginho being linked with a move away last month, the Gunners can’t afford to lose too many from midfield.
