Arteta greenlights January sale of another Arsenal starter who’s already reached ‘mutual’ agreement after showdown talks

Mikel Arteta and Thomas Partey are in agreement that the midfielder will be allowed to leave Arsenal in January if Juventus come calling, according to a report.

Arsenal already sold one of their regular starting midfielders from last season over the summer when Granit Xhaka joined Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Now, in the next transfer window, Partey could also be on his way out.

Reports have recently named Partey as a potential replacement for Paul Pogba at Juventus, since the former Manchester United midfielder is at risk of a substantial ban after testing positive for testosterone.

Partey’s potential Serie A switch has taken a step forward on Thursday after it emerged that Arsenal are willing to give him the green light to leave in January.

According to Football Transfers, Partey and manager Arteta have reached a ‘mutual agreement’ that Arsenal should not stand in his way of an exit at the start of the new year.

The decision is said to have come after talks between the pair last week, in which Partey sought clarity about his status at the club after being pushed into a right-back role in Arteta’s changing system recently.

Arsenal broke their transfer record to strengthen in defensive midfield with the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham United in the summer, which is another factor that has reduced Partey’s importance in the position.

Furthermore, the Ghana international is starting to wonder about his next contract, since his Arsenal terms are set to expire in 2025. He wants to arrange a long-term commitment next, but his current club would be hesitant to sanction such a deal due to his age, high salary and, primarily, his injury history.

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All eyes will be on Juventus, then, and what kind of deals they can offer to Arsenal for a transfer fee and Partey himself for a contract.

A move to the Turin-based side would allow the former Atletico Madrid star to play in Serie A for the first time in his career, as part of the same squad that also contains ex-Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Arteta making U-turn on Partey future

Partey was already linked with a move away from Arsenal in the summer, until Arteta publicly ruled it out in July.

When asked if he expected Partey to set out on a fourth season at the Emirates Stadium, Arteta replied: “Without a question of a doubt.

“Thomas is a super important player for us and for me. I want him to be part of the team. That’s for sure.”

However, showdown talks between the two of them since appear to have inspired an acknowledgement that it may be in everyone’s best interests to go their separate ways.

Interestingly, the same website that has revealed the latest Partey news recently implied that his departure could unlock Arsenal’s next midfield signing, tipping them to revive their interest in Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad.