Does it surprise you, though? We haven’t sold a player for over 70mil even though we’ve had chances to do so.
I’ll believe it when I see it, but we have to make a big money outgoing transfer somewhere down the line.
The club need to learn from Liverpool when it comes to player sales; what they did with Suarez & Coutinho was brilliant,
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Around £50m combined for Xhaka and Partey not the best really. Need another big sale somewhere down the line.
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Very harsh
Can’t believe the disrespect Partey gets. There’s no aspect of his game lacking. He has immense positioning, his passing is excellent, strong in the challenge and recently a genuine threat from long range shots as well. Such a composed top class player. Like any player has dips in form but for the most part we NEVER play well when he doesn’t play well. He’s key to all we do.
Jorginho has been an excellent stand in but again when Partey’s on form we’re a different beast.
Been a force at the highest level in the CL for Atletico and the last few years at Arsenal but Rice is somehow easily the better player. What because of some Twitter metrics. Been an absolute rolls royce for us and Atleti.
Rice and Caicedo as talented as they are still have to prove they’re able to hit Partey’s levels…
Had we added Rice or Caicedo on top of Partey and Xhaka we would be dead set for a full campaign. Losing just Xhaka we can just about manage with the right signings. Now it’s looking very sticky.
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Something like 10 players aged 30 and over have ever sold for more than £30m in the history of football and most of them are either stupid buys by Italian clubs in another era or players like Ronaldo, Lewandowski, etc. Whether we should sell Partey is one question, but if we do then a £35m fee would be plenty good.
Should we sell him? I’m not convinced, even if Caicedo or Lavia are coming. But I think the decision won’t be taken just on footballing grounds and it becomes hard to evaluate in that context. I wouldn’t be surprised if the implicit deal between Partey, Arteta, and the Kroenkes all along has been that the club would stand by him through the legal uncertainty of last year but that he would move along this summer.
I said in another thread Arsenal the only team looking to keep the transfer market prices real… Seems that’s also the case when selling too 
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He can’t head (but then we’re not a “heading” kinda team, so that’s probably a little unfair on my part).
The dip in form was hugely alarming (and it was for a number of games). If he had that last season, what’s to stop that happening as he gets older, or when/if the allegations gather pace? Even the things you highlighted- the passing, the challenging- that went out of the window when he turned to shit. He just became a floater like Darren Fletcher.
I agree overall that we should be looking to sell for a massive amount if we’re going to sell. It may mean Rice, Havertz and Caicedo coming in.
We’d need a massive pre-season for all these boys to gel, though.
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Totally agree. When he’s on his game he’s a brilliant footballer but the club are worried about his vulnerability to injuries and his inability to be consistent for a whole season. Now is the time to cash in rather than continue to build the team around him and end up worrying every time he goes down on the pitch.
The off-pitch stuff, regardless of what happens, has left a bit of a stink around the club. It’s not a good look when one of your players is consistently booed by opposition fans.
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Why though? I’m not a huge Havertz or Rice stan but those are three midfielders with plenty of raw talent.
40m Euros for Partey is a disgraceful offer.
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2/3rds of the midfield need to settle and I don’t rate Havertz and rice that highly.
Ones an expensive chelsea flop and the other one I have an irrational hate even of his hair. 170m for the two pisses me off.
Were it barella - rice/Partey - Odegaard I’d be quite happy. Even rice - Partey - Odegaard I’d settle for, albeit asking rice to be more attacking.
Rodri is a better player than Partey and he’s 26 years old. At Partey’s age, you tend to see a decline in performance over the next few years. So I’m not too perturbed by the €40m. I can understand wanting a bigger fee.
Do people really see Rice as a clown?
Defensively, Rice is superior to Partey both positionally and in a straight duel. With the ball, Partey makes more eye-catching drives forward and is the superior dribbler. When it comes to passing, it is relatively close. Partey excels in picking out passes, while Rice excels in setting the tempo but can also pick a pass. I just don’t see the downgrade.
Rice is younger and he’s entering his prime years. There’s a reason why the biggest clubs in Europe are linked with him. Is there a 60m difference in quality between Partey and Rice? No, but that’s the transfer market for you.
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If Partey and Xhaka go we need to bring in 3 very good central midfield options in the one window which is a lot to do amongst other signings, we’re trying build a stronger squad and better starting lineup, well at least we should be.
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Agree, Partey going stinks. It’s the equivalent of us bringing in two young, forwards from the league,
(let’s say Mitoma and Alvarez), but then selling Jesus. It would weaken us as he’s more established and better than the new recruits.
Nobody is going to spin the idea of Partey leaving being a positive. Him sticking around for a year is far more valuable than 30m quid.
I really rate Rice, but Partey today is the more esteemed cm.
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If we sign Rice AND Caicedo, I will be happy to spin that selling Partey is a good idea, providing we keep Jorginho.
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I’d consider that as average. Xhaka has done more than Caicedo in the league and Partey is better than Rice.
It is possible that Rice, Caicedo and Havertz suit what Arteta wants to play like more though. Partey was his signing but arguably wasn’t if we are to believe the Auoar rumours.
What’s the odds he ends up at Newcastle on loan after signing for one of these Saudi clubs
Not sure I would take those odds. I get the impression Partey has had enough of England
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Don’t think we are signing Caicedo anyways.