Arsenal midfielder prioritising Barcelona move this summer | OneFootball

Barcelona have made a habit of bringing in free agents in recent summers, with the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen all arriving from the Premier League in recent years. Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is hoping to be the next one.

Despite starting in 36 of the 43 games that Arsenal have played so far this season, Partey does not look as if he will be offered a new deal at the Emirates this season. The 31-year-old is out of contract this summer at any rate, allowing him to enter talks and sign a new deal with other clubs, being in the final six months of his current contract.

Partey is evaluating his options, with Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice ahead of him in the pecking order, while a return to his natural position for Mikel Merino would also relegate Partey further down that ranking. The Ghanaian international has played at times at right-back this season covering for Takehiro Tomiyasu, but is set to leave for more game time.

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Barcelona would be his top choice for a move in the summer, say MD. The Blaugrana have shown interest in the past, and Partey, who came through at Atletico Madrid, would be interested in a move back to La Liga. The Catalan daily also remark that Partey is not amongst their plans though, with Frenkie de Jong seemingly set to stay. Marc Casado and Marc Bernal also mean the position is well-covered, and only a departure for the Dutchman, or an unlikely choice of Partey as a right-back alternative to Jules Kounde would open their doors to him.

This checks out with reports last month claiming that Barcelona have decided against a move for Partey. While he does provide a more imposing physical presence in midfield, Barcelona have depth in midfield. Were Barcelona to attempt to bring in an alternative to Kounde, it would be strange if they did not move for a specialist full-back instead.