Atletico Madrid have reportedly reiterated that they will not sell Thomas Partey unless Arsenal trigger his €50million (£45.5m) release clause.
The Ghana international is believed to be one of three attacking players Mikel Arteta is targeting this summer, along with Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho and soon-to-be free agent Willian.
Arsenal opened talks with Thomas earlier this year, as confirmed by his father, but any hopes of signing the 27-year-old on a cut-price transfer have been dashed by Atletico.
Football journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that Thomas will not be going anywhere this summer unless his valuation is met in full.
Atleti are supposedly also unwilling to listen to any sort of alternative offers, including a possible player-plus-cash deal involving Matteo Guendouzi.
Should they fail to reach an agreement with the Spanish side, Arsenal could instead turn to Roma midfielder Amadou Diawara.
Daniel Lewis
