Arsenal in 'three-team battle' for £17.1m Thomas Partey replacement after 'deep interest' reveal

Arsenal will reportedly have to fend off the attention of two Premier League rivals to secure the signature of Sevilla midfielder Lucien Agoume this summer.

The Gunners are believed to have a 'deep interest' in the France Under-21 international and have identified him as a potential replacement for Thomas Partey, who is looking increasingly likely to leave on June 30.

The Ghana international has been in talks with the club over a new contract, but those negotiations are now said to be at a complete standstill given that he is after a pay rise on his current £200,000-a-week deal.

As a result, Partey is expected to leave as a free agent when his current deal expires, and he will be the second Arsenal number six to depart in such circumstances this summer after Jorginho.

The North London giants are set to announce the signing of Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi imminently, but Mikel Arteta will still be down a defensive midfielder in 2025-26 without another acquisition.

Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur 'join Arsenal' in Agoume race

Sevilla's Agoume has apparently been earmarked as an ideal Zubimendi understudy, but according to Fichajes, Arsenal are not alone in their pursuit of the Frenchman.

The Spanish outlet claims that North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have also been keeping tabs on Agoume, who is valued at €20m (£17.1m) by Sevilla, an affordable price for all three teams.

Los Palanganas are said to be under pressure to sell off some of their most prized assets in order to finance a summer overhaul, alerting all three Premier League teams to a potential market opportunity.

However, despite the threat from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Old Trafford, Arsenal are still understood to be in the driving seat for Agoume, who still has three years left to run on his Sevilla contract.

The 6ft 1in midfielder joined the La Liga side from Inter Milan for just £3.4m last summer after spending the second half of 2023-24 on loan at the club, and he managed one goal and three assists in 37 appearances last season.

The state of play with Man United and Tottenham's midfields

Like their Emirates counterparts, Man United are already in a weaker position in midfield heading into the new campaign, as Christian Eriksen was not offered a new contract and will be on his way out on a free this summer.

Kobbie Mainoo's future is not set in stone either - selling the Englishman would bring major financial benefits thanks to his home-grown status - but Casemiro is looking increasingly likely to stay for another year.

Over at Tottenham, Yves Bissouma is about to enter the last 12 months of his contract, and the Mali international has been frequently linked with a summer departure after falling down the pecking order last term.

Rodrigo Bentancur is in the same boat deal-wise, although the Uruguayan is rumoured to be discussing an extension, and new boss Thomas Frank will likely want to assess all of his troops in pre-season before signing off on any transfer decisions.

Written by
Ben Knapton