Arsenal have 'three-man transfer shortlist' as Edu ready to sell Thomas Partey

Arsenal have identified three transfer targets as Mikel Arteta and Edu search for a new midfield partner for Declan Rice this summer, according to reports. And the Gunners are said to be preparing to cash in on Thomas Partey for a second successive year after failing to offload him ahead of last season.

Arteta will be exploring ways to elevate his side to the next level and finally get the better of Manchester City in the Premier League title race after back-to-back near misses.

Arsenal finished five points behind Pep Guardiola’s treble winners in the 2022/23 campaign despite sitting at the summit for the vast majority.

Last term, they trailed by just two points as City lifted the Premier League title in a fourth consecutive year, offering optimism that they can go one step further in 2024/25.

And Arteta is reportedly hoping to do so by bolstering his engine room this summer, with Jorginho and Partey both entering their twilight years.

The duo, aged 32 and 31, respectively, join captain Martin Odegaard and Fabio Viera, who has struggled to impress at the Emirates Stadium, as Arsenal’s options to side with Rice.

But Partey managed just 16 appearances in all competitions last season due to groin and hamstring injuries, and Jorginho started just 10 times in the Premier League.

According to The Athletic, it has called Arsenal into action in the transfer market in an attempt to provide Rice with a more youthful partner.

It’s claimed that the Gunners have pinpointed Benfica’s Joao Neves and Real Sociedad team-mates Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi on the shortlist.

Neves has reportedly also attracted interest from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, but Benfica are reluctant to sanction a sale unless his £100million release clause is met.

Meanwhile, Merino and Zubimendi both played a part in Spain’s Euro 2024 glory this summer, which will have seen their stocks soar.

So, any move may rely on offloading Partey, for whom no suitable offer was tabled when he was in the shop window last summer.

Both the Ghanaian and Jorginho have entered the final year of their contracts, so Arsenal will be keen to strike a deal if interested parties make themselves known.

Rice enjoyed a positive first season in north London after joining from West Ham United in a club-record £105m switch.

But adding fresh blood alongside him could be the key to unlocking a new level for the player and the team ahead of another title charge.