Arsenal have decided to pay the release clause to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey.
According to Goal, the Gunners have conveyed their desire to La Liga to pay the £45 million required to sign the 27-year-old.
The report underlines that Partey has been a top target for Mikel Arteta this summer, but that Arsenal were previously unwilling to pay the full release clause.
That stance has now changed with just hours of the transfer window remaining, apparently.
The report says Partey wants to sign for Arsenal and now that the money is forthcoming, there shouldn’t be too many snags.
The fact that Partey has a release clause removes the need to negotiate with Atletico, and should grease the wheels of a rapid deal.
Atletico, for their part, want to tie down Partey to an extended contract onc their financial woes have subsided.
It seems like they won’t get the chance to do that, with Arsenal now happy to pay that release clause.
Arteta has worked wonders with Arsenal but it’s clear he needs more in midfield.
Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira look set to be cleared off the decks to make space and raise funds to land Partey.