Mikel Arteta is planning to reshape his Arsenal squad during the summer transfer window.
Willian is reportedly close to joining on a free transfer from London rivals Chelsea, links to Lille defender Gabriel Magalhães has gathered pace this week and Philippe Coutinho remains a rumoured loan target.
But there's one particular area in which Arteta is keen to address ahead of the 2020/21 season.
football.london understands the Gunners want to stiffen their central midfield with the signing of Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey, as the Ghanaian international seen as the perfect player to add some dynamism to the side.
But the north London outfit are having issues in reaching an agreement with the La Liga side.
Madrid are determined that Partey will only leave the club should his release clause (£45m) be paid in full and have reportedly rejected Arsenal's bid of €25million (£22.8m) plus one player.
According to Guardian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Madrid have since issued an ultimatum to Arsenal in regards to the midfielder's release clause as they continue to stand firm.
Click here for all the latest on Thomas Partey's future.
It could be a case of who blinks first when it comes to negotiations and the Gunners look set to be handed a surprise transfer boost by a familiar face.
Ivan Gazidis left his position as Arsenal chief executive in September 2018 to take up a similar role at AC Milan and the Serie A giants are said to be interested in Lucas Torreira.
The Telegraph claims that Milan are frontrunners to land the Uruguay international despite interest from Fiorentina.
Should Arsenal agree to sell Torreira - who has slipped down the pecking order since Arteta's appointment - then they will look to at least recoup the £26m fee they paid Sampdoria in the summer of 2018.
Generating funds through player sales is likely to be the Gunners' policy this summer and Gazidis could hand them the windfall they need to complete a deal for Partey.
Speaking after the 2-1 win over Chelsea in the FA Cup final last weekend, Arteta revealed that he had already laid out his ideal transfer window to the Arsenal hierarchy.
"They know everything, I present everything to them: my vision, what my plans are, why I want to do it," he said.
"Then all together we will try our best to be in the best possible position when we start the new season."
