Arsenal set for £17m discount on Partey backup after agent transfer admission

Arsenal have a long-standing interest in Eintracht Frankfurt star Djibril Sow and could land him on the cheap this summer as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his midfield ranks at the Emirates.

The Switzerland international – who moved to Frankfurt from Young Boys in 2019 – has rejected several contract extension offers to push through a move from the Bundesliga side this summer.

Sow will have one year remaining on his deal come the end of the season, at which point the 26-year-old’s release clause will drop from £30.7m to just £13m, and Arsenal are keen on securing his signature, according to Sport1.

Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo are the big names on Arteta’s shortlist at Arsenal, and it’s likely the club will look to make a marquee midfield addition, with Sow thought to be signed as a backup for injury-prone star Thomas Partey.

Speaking to Sport1, Sow’s agent Jose Nogueira Rodriguez explained: “There were always options for Djibril Sow. A year ago, there was a very specific offer. He could have left the club. But the player wanted to take the Champions League with the great club Eintracht Frankfurt.

“However, Markus Krösche was always informed that with an offer that suits the player and the club, you can imagine changing in the summer of 2023.”

Arsenal has become an attractive prospect for potential players, with Arteta’s side playing good football as they push for the Premier League title.

And as Oleksandr Zinchenko has explained, Arteta himself is a big draw.

Speaking about his manager to Sky Sports, Zinchenko said: “The impact he had and has right now for me is a lot. I said many times one day if I am going to leave City and stay in the Premier League it will be [for] only one manager, which is him.

“The way he sees football, his vision, his character, he is a winner. That is what I like the most from people. Obviously, he knew me as a player and a person when he called me, I had a couple of conversations before I joined Arsenal. He told me what he wants to see from me, the club’s vision, the club’s plan and strategy. I liked everything of that and that is why I came.”

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