Mikel Arteta ‘would love’ to sign one of the top midfielders in Europe for the team this summer…

Mikel Arteta has expressed his strong desire to secure the services of a top-tier midfielder from Europe for Arsenal in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Following the conclusion of the 2023/24 Premier League season, Arsenal once again faced disappointment.

Despite their victory over Everton on the final day, the atmosphere at the Emirates was a mix of sadness and hope.

Mikel Arteta made sure to highlight the impressive season his team had, despite falling short of the Premier League title to Manchester City.

While many had high hopes for Arsenal at the beginning of the season, there were still uncertainties surrounding the team. Not due to the manager’s strategies or the players already in the squad.

Arsenal is reportedly eager to secure the services of one of the top midfielders in Europe this summer, with manager Mikel Arteta expressing his desire for the signing.

The Gunners finished second in the Premier League this season, falling short of the title to Manchester City. One potential target for Arsenal is Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz, who has been on their radar for some time.

To finance this move, Arsenal may consider selling Thomas Partey for £25m. Despite failing to secure Luiz in a previous transfer window, Arsenal remains keen on bringing the Brazilian midfielder to North London.

Mikel Arteta is looking to bolster the centre midfield position for the upcoming season, with Luiz being a strong candidate to join Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

According to Football Insider, the top target for Arsenal in this role is the Aston Villa star, and they are considering selling Thomas Partey to facilitate the move.

With Partey’s contract expiring in June 2025, this summer presents an opportune time to capitalize on his sale.

Once the transfer window opens, Arsenal is open to offers for the 30-year-old midfielder, setting an asking price ranging between £20m and £25m.

Partey, a player with immense talent, has unfortunately been plagued by severe injury problems this season, resulting in a mere 449 minutes of playtime in the current Premier League campaign.

According to Arsenal journalist Charles Watts, the Gunners’ stance on Partey will remain unchanged from last summer. In an exclusive interview with CaughtOffside for his Daily Briefing column, Watts revealed that Arsenal were willing to entertain offers for Partey last year, but no enticing bids were received.

Watts clarified that Arsenal was not actively trying to offload Partey, but considering his age, recurring injury issues, high salary, and the fact that he had only two years left on his contract, they would have capitalized on a substantial offer.

Ultimately, the anticipated outcome did not materialize, resulting in their contentment with retaining him. I anticipate that this upcoming summer will present a similar scenario.

With only one year remaining on his contract, they would entertain a substantial offer if one were to arise. However, I do not believe they will actively seek to push him out.

Although he has not seen much playing time since his return to fitness, his performance against Chelsea on Wednesday night demonstrated his exceptional abilities when in top form. It is possible that they may opt to keep him for the final year of his contract before allowing him to depart as a free agent.

While there have been persistent rumors linking him to Juventus, I have not received any confirmation regarding the authenticity of those links. While there was interest from Saudi Arabia last summer, Partey was not particularly enthusiastic about that option. His preference was to remain at Arsenal.