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Thomas Partey, Nabil Fekir or Marc Roca - who should Arsenal target?

Amid reports linking Arsenal with moves for Thomas Partey, Nabil Fekir and Marc Roca, Sports Mole looks at which midfielder would be the best signing for the Gunners.

The impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the transfer market has not prevented the rumour mill from whirring, with Arsenal one of the teams most heavily linked with additions.

While some reports have suggested that Arsenal will only have a modest budget, others have claimed that they will back Mikel Arteta in his first summer transfer window as manager.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey is thought to be top of the Gunners' list, while Nabil Fekir and Marc Roca have also been linked in recent days.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at the midfield trio and which one might be the best signing for the North Londoners.



Thomas Partey (Atletico Madrid)

Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey pictured in October 2019© Reuters

The target who has Arsenal fans most excited is Thomas Partey, the defensive midfielder who played a major role in helping Atletico Madrid to knock holders Liverpool out of the Champions League before lockdown.

The 26-year-old's contract does not expire until 2023, but crucially it contains a release clause which Arsenal are reportedly willing to trigger.

It would take around £44.5m to sign him from Atletico, which even in the post-coronavirus market is relatively cheap for a player who has experience at the top level - in the Champions League and internationally with Ghana.

Thomas is also the type of player Arsenal have been crying out for in recent years and, with Dani Ceballos expected to leave when his loan spell comes to an end, would provide Arteta with another midfield option for 2020-21.

Arsenal's likely lack of Champions League football may affect Thomas's desire to join the club while others are also interested, although Atletico themselves could miss out on the top tier of European football too.



Nabil Fekir (Real Betis)

Nabil Fekir pictured in La Liga action for Real Betis on February 9, 2020© Reuters

Nabil Fekir moving to the Premier League is by no means a new rumour; the France international was on the brink of joining Liverpool in 2018, only for the deal to collapse at the 11th hour due to problems with his medical.

The 26-year-old has since moved from Lyon to Real Betis, where he has scored seven goals and created six more in 22 La Liga appearances this season.

Fekir has a contract until 2023 and, under normal circumstances, Betis would have no desire or need to sell a player that only joined last summer.

However, the knock-on effect of the coronavirus pandemic could force Betis into cashing in on the attacking midfielder, although his asking price - thought to be in the region of £50m - is likely to be a sticking point.

Fekir's position also makes him a curious target for the Gunners, who appear well-stocked in the attacking midfield department and in greater need of serious investment elsewhere.



Marc Roca (Espanyol)

Espanyol midfielder Marc Roca pictured in January 2020© Reuters

If Arsenal's budget does prove to be a problem then Marc Roca could be a cut-price solution, certainly in comparison to the other two players on this list.

At 23 the Spaniard is a good age and could realistically be an Arsenal player for a decade or more, and with Espanyol rooted to the bottom of La Liga he could be available on the cheap.

If Espanyol do suffer relegation - they are currently six points from safety, having been in the top flight since 1994 - then they will be forced to cash in on some of their most valuable assets.

However, even if they do stay up then Roca will not be too expensive an option as he has a £30m release clause in his contract.

Roca, like Thomas, is a defensive midfielder and so seems to fit the bill of what Arsenal need most in the middle of the park, while any lack of Champions League football would not concern a player who has spent the season fighting against relegation.

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Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey pictured in October 2019
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