Juventus have allegedly ended their interest in Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey following the Ghanaian's recent thigh operation.
The former Atletico Madrid man struggled for fitness and consistency during his first two years in North London, but he consigned his injury woes to the past in a successful 2022-23 season.
Alongside Granit Xhaka, Partey was a key cog in Mikel Arteta's well-oiled machine as the Gunners finished second in the Premier League table, and he stayed put in the summer despite talk of a move to Juventus or Saudi Arabia.
However, the 30-year-old's physical woes have come back to haunt him this term, as he spent a few weeks out with a groin injury in September before sustaining another muscular injury towards the end of August.
Arteta initially stated that Partey would be sidelined for a number of weeks, but he is now thought to have undergone an operation on his thigh, which could sideline him for the rest of the calendar year.
© Reuters
Before re-entering the infirmary, Partey had allegedly grown frustrated with his new role in Arsenal's setup, as he started at right-back in the first three games of the 2023-24 Premier League season to accommodate new signing Kai Havertz.
Jorginho, Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard are also regulars in the Arsenal midfield, and the Gunners are supposedly ready to cash in on the Ghana international midway through the season.
Juventus have long been considered the favourites to prise him away from North London, but the Evening Standard claims that the Old Lady have cooled their interest due to his recent procedure.
Massimiliano Allegri has lost both of Paul Pogba and Nicolo Fagioli amid off-field scandals, as the latter is serving a seven-month betting suspension while Pogba awaits to learn the outcome of his doping investigation.
The Frenchman could be slapped with a ban of up to four years, which would surely result in a contract termination, and Juve reportedly planned to use the monies saved from ripping up Pogba's deal to fund a move for Partey.
© Reuters
However, the report states that Juve are now expected to prioritise a move for Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips, while Tottenham Hotspur's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is also of interest.
Partey is also due to represent Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations in January, although when questioned on Friday, Arteta could not guarantee that the midfielder would be fit for the tournament.
"That's part number two. Let's get him quick and healthy as quick as possible and playing a big part in the team, which I think that he can do," the Spaniard told a press conference.
Partey has registered five goals and four assists in 104 games for Arsenal, who are also set to be working without Egypt representative Mohamed Elneny during next year's AFCON.
The Gunners could try to reinforce their midfield with a January signing as a result and have also been tipped to make a move for Phillips, as well as Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi and Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz.
Ben Knapton
