European giants want to replace Man Utd flop with Arsenal star; £30m man could push for January exit

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is being increasingly linked with Juventus as the Italian giants search for a replacement for Paul Pogba. 

The former Manchester United man is suspended from playing football after testing positive for testosterone – a second sample will now be checked in order to determine a definitive result.

The final verdict on Pogba will be made in October. Juventus’ sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli has remained tight-lipped on his future up to now.

“I repeat, it is an unpleasant situation,” Giuntoli said.

“We’ll wait for the counter-analysis tests and then decide along with the player’s agent what to do.”

If Juventus do lose Pogba due to the scandal, they will look to bring in a replacement for him when the transfer window re-opens in January, and Partey has emerged as a potential option.

As reported by TEAMtalk, the Ghana international is ‘ready to quit’ the Gunners if he does not get regular playing time when he returns from a groin injury.

Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Fabio Vieira could all be ahead of Partey in the pecking order by then, so it seems increasingly likely that he could leave.

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Juventus ramp up interest in Partey

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Partey has emerged as one of Juventus’ top targets to replace Pogba in January.

Now, there is a ‘feeling’ that Arsenal could be willing to do business when the transfer window re-opens.

Partey signed for Arsenal in 2020 after the London club matched his £45m release clause at Atletico Madrid. The 30-year-old has since made 103 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals and making four assists.

The Ghanaian started Arsenal’s first three league matches this term before he picked up his injury, so he is still very much a part of Arteta’s plans.

As mentioned, though, if he doesn’t get consistent minutes when he returns, he will push for an exit.

This is good news for Juventus, who reportedly view Partey as the ‘ideal reinforcement’ if Pogba fails to get his suspension lifted.

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if the Italian side make a concrete bid for Partey in January. Previous reports suggest that Arsenal would demand around £30m for his services.

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