Partey still No 1 target; Matteo Guendouzi, Sead Kolasinac, Lucas Torreira, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Mesut Ozil could all leave; Arsenal remain interested in Jorginho
Monday 5 October 2020 15:06, UK
Arsenal still want to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey, while Matteo Guendouzi is on the verge of joining Hertha Berlin on a season-long loan deal on what has become a busy Deadline Day for the Gunners.
Bayer Leverkusen remain in talks about signing Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac, with the Bundesliga club preferring a loan deal with an obligation-to-buy option, while Lucas Torreira is on the verge of joining Atletico Madrid on loan and is having his medical in the Spanish capital.
Arsenal are also listening to offers for defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos, but have not yet received any offers for midfielder Mesut Ozil, with boss Mikel Arteta recently casting doubts over the German's future.
Partey has been linked with Arsenal throughout the window and, although his £45m release clause has been an issue, the Gunners are hoping to free up wages and space in the squad before the window shuts at 11pm.
Arteta said at the weekend Arsenal were doing what they can to finalise transfers ahead of the deadline, and was confident deals can be struck.
The Gunners also remain interested in Chelsea midfielder Jorginho. A deal for the Italy international is thought to be unlikely, but not off the cards.
Houssem Aouar, meanwhile, is no longer thought to be a target after he declared his desire to stay with Lyon. "I want to continue the adventure with the club who raised me," Aouar told Telefoot over the weekend.
"Torreira could hold the key to unlocking what is Arsenal's primary target this summer," Dharmesh Sheth told the Transfer Talk podcast in September. "Arsenal want the Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey and we've known that for quite a few weeks.
"Atletico Madrid want Torreira - but the one issue is that Atletico want the player on loan. Arsenal want to sell or loan with the obligation to buy. Money from the sale of Torreira would allow Arsenal to part fund the £45m release clause in Partey's contract.
"Arsenal may feel if they can do business with Atletico, it could quite easily smooth a path for them to get Thomas Partey. There's still a bit of work to do for Arsenal to convince Atletico to part with the necessary funds. As a result, Arsenal are looking at alternatives and one name being mentioned to me is Chelsea's Jorginho.
"Mikel Arteta was Pep Guardiola's assistant when Manchester City wanted to sign him from Napoli only for him to join Chelsea in the summer 2018."
Guendouzi, 21, has not played a single minute for Arsenal yet this season and is set to join Hertha, who finished 10th in the Bundesliga last season.
The France U21 international last featured for Mikel Arteta's side in the Premier League in June, during the 2-1 defeat away to Brighton on June 20.
He was involved in a fracas with forward Neal Maupay, appearing to grab his opponent's throat after the final whistle at the Amex Stadium.
Reports in France earlier this summer claimed Guendouzi said he would be open to leaving Arsenal during a disciplinary meeting at the club, following the incident at Brighton, but Arteta later dismissed the speculation.
Guendouzi, who joined the Gunners from Lorient in 2018, is under contract at the Emirates Stadium until 2022.
The midfielder has played 82 times for the club in all competitions, scoring once and making five assists since his debut in August 2018.
The summer transfer window closes at 11pm on Monday October 5 with a feast of activity throughout the day involving the biggest names in football.
Some of the highlights to enjoy on Sky Sports News and across our Sky Sports platforms:
You can also follow the stories on Sky Sports' digital platforms, with our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.
Here's all you need to know about Deadline Day and how to keep across all the deals and drama with Sky Sports.
