Premier League Rumors: Lacazette Could Be Part Of Arsenal Master Plan For Partey

Arsenal FC is pursuing Thomas Partey despite the club suffering from financial problems caused by COVID-19. And one player could reportedly help Arsenal make this deal happen.

Mikel Arteta seems primed to take in Partey, 27, but he may need to act fast. Based on the latest reports, Napoli is also interested in the Ghanaian football player.

Atletico Madrid also seems inclined to deal out Partey. The club was even open to lowering its asking fee for the Ghanaian player. But all this was before Napoli joined the fray. With another team interested in Partey, Atletico may end up settling for the club that offers the best pitch.

It was previously reported that Napoli was another team interested in Partey. They seemed unbothered by the $56.7 million asking fees of Atletico and were willing to offer Arkadiusz Milik. Regardless, Arsenal remains in the driver's seat, and the Gunners are upping the stakes. They were reportedly ready to triple the wages of Partey, something that could see his wages shoot up to $112 million.

Now, a new twist has entered the story. Alexandre Lacazette could be part of the Partey deal, a move that would help take some financial load off in the Gunners' quest for the Ghanaian.

However, Arteta seems to be undecided regarding what to do with Lacazette and said that he was pretty happy with the striker at the moment.

"He's a player that I've always liked, even when I wasn't here, because of what he brings to the team: his qualities, his ability, his work rate. So let's see," Arteta said via Sky Sports. "Now we are in a crucial moment. It's no time to talk about a lot of contract situations. We still have time and we will do it at the right moment."

Arteta is keeping the faith in the 29-year-old despite a subpar season. He has started in 17 Premier League matches but has been playing behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. If a direct deal with Los Indios cannot be done, the Gunners have other options.

L'Equippe reported that Juventus and Inter Milan are interested in Lacazette. It Arsenal fails to come to terms in a deal involving Lacazette plus cash, the Gunners could opt to sell off the French national first. This way, they could make up for the investment on Partey.