It’s no secret that Arsenal want to strengthen their midfield this summer, and some of their recent performances have shown why.
It’s a clear weakness in the team, and Matteo Guendouzi has gone from being seen as a long term option to being left out of the squad.
Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey has been linked consistently in recent weeks and HITC were the latest to make that claim, but they indicate that Arsenal may not have the finances to make the move happen.
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Interestingly a report from Get Football News France has since claimed that Atletico Madrid have made contact with Matteo Guendouzi about a potential summer move, so there could be an obvious solution here.
It’s been suggested that swap deals could be the main way for clubs to freshen up their squads this summer when finances are tight, and it’s fair to assume that both players could have a similar value on the open market.
Partey is a better player just now but Guendouzi is six years younger, so Atletico would be taking a gamble on him improving.
Diego Simeone loves players who have energy and work hard so the Frenchman would do that, and if he can find a way to channel his aggression in the right way then he could become a key part of the Atleti midfield.
Partey would finally give Arsenal an experienced and authoritative presence in the midfield, something that’s been missing for years.
In a way it almost makes too much sense, and it could benefit both clubs if they made this move happen.