Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey has told his representatives that he wants to seal a move to Arsenal when the next transfer window officially opens.
The tough-tackling midfield enforcer, who has been on the La Liga club's books since 2012, is being heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, as Gunners head coach Mikel Arteta is desperate to add a fresh face to his midfield.
Over the past few weeks, speculation has continued to mount regarding Partey's future, with Arsenal being at the very centre of it.
But football.london understands that, at present, Arsenal may struggle to conclude a deal for the Ghana international, who has a buy-out clause in his contract somewhere around £43million, because their transfer budget is expected to be considerably smaller because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Nevertheless, according to GhanaSoccerNet, Partey has made it clear to his representatives that he wants to secure a move to Arsenal, snubbing a move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain in the process.
The reason behind Partey's strong desire to move to the Premier League is because he wants to follow in the footsteps of former Ghana and Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, who spent nine successful years at Stamford Bridge, during which time he helped the Blues win nine major trophies, including two Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Essien's success in England is believed to be an inspiration to Partey, who, according to the report, is desperate to join Arsenal.
Should Arsenal be able to pull off a deal to land Partey, though when the transfer will open remains anyone's guess, it is a move that Ghana teammate Kasim Nuhu would be in full support of.
"Atletico Madrid is a very good club so he is playing one of the biggest clubs in the world and Arsenal are also one of the biggest," Nuhu told TV3 on Instagram.
"For me, it is his decision because playing for Atletico Madrid is the same as playing for Arsenal.
"The two teams always make the same category in the league, fighting for the third and fourth place to play in Champions League.
"But as we all know the Premier League is the best league in the world so if he joins Arsenal I will be happy for him."
