Arsenal Transfer News Roundup: Juventus not in talks for Thomas Partey; Declan Rice hailed as Patrick Vieira heir, and more - September 15, 2023

Arsenal will travel to Goodison Park on Sunday (September 17) to face Everon in the Premier League. Mikel Arteta will look to keep the bandwagon rolling with a win against the Toffees.

Meanwhile, Juventus are not engaged in talks to take Gunners midfielder Thomas Partey to Turin. Elsewhere, midfielder Declan Rice has been hailed as the next Patrick Vieira at the Emirates.

On that note, here's a look at the key Arsenal transfer stories as on September 15, 2023:

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Juventus not in talks for Thomas Partey

Juventus are not in talks to sign Thomas Partey as a replacement for Paul Pogba, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The French midfielder has made news after being suspending by Italy's anti-doping tribunal. Pogba is now unavailable to play for the Bianconeri, who could be forced to look for a replacement in January depending on the outcome of the investigation. Partey was linked with a move to Turin in the summer, but a transfer failed to materialise.

In his column for Caught Offside, Romano noted that the Serie A giants couldn’t afford to match the Ghanaian’s price tag in the summer.

“The Pogba situation means we’re again seeing rumours about Thomas Partey and Juventus, but there was no chance this summer. He was on Juventus’ list, but it was impossible for them to pay €45/50m.

"Arsenal also didn’t want to sell him after considering this possibility just at the beginning of the window. It’s very quiet now, despite these new links, and Thomas is focused on Arsenal,” wrote Romano.

Partey’s future at Arsenal is up in the air following the arrival of Declan Rice.

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Declan Rice hailed as Patrick Vieira heir at Arsenal

Declan Rice has been a revelation since arriving at the Emirates this summer.

Former Arsenal midfielder Adrian Clarke reckons Declan Rice’s qualities make him very similar to club legend Patrick Vieira.

The English midfielder arrived at the Emirates this summer in a big-money move from West Ham United. Rice has done very well, starting all four games this season under Mikel Arteta, scoring once.

On The Handbrake Off podcast, Clarke also praised David Moyes for shaping Rice’s positional awareness.

“The player I played with that he’s closest to is Vieira in terms of that anticipation, presence and aura. He just reads everything and understands the game pretty much better than anyone else on the field, that’s what Declan Rice does.

"He’s learned under a defensive coach in David Moyes, and I’m not a huge fan of Moyes, but he’s taught him well in terms of positions he needs to take up,” said Clarke.

Rice scored his first goal for the Gunners against Manchester United at the start of the month.

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Takehiro Tomiyasu vital to Mikel Arteta’s plans

Adrian Clarke has named Takehiro Tomiyasu as one of the most important players at Arsenal.

The Japanese international has not been a first-team regular under Arteta recently. However, his versatility has been key for the Gunners following the recent injuries at the Emirates.

On The Handbrake Off podcast, Clarke pointed out that Tomiyasu is an excellent cover for William Saliba.

“There’s an argument to suggest that Tomiyasu, even though he’s not in our starting XIs, he’s one of Mikel Arteta’s most important players at the moment. I would certainly agree with that sentiment.

"He’s shown for Japan and for us that he’s a pretty good centre-back, and he’s excellent cover for William Saliba in the right-sided centre-back position,” said Clarke said.

Tomiyasu could rise in importance in a testing season as the Gunners work to deal with the unfortunate injury to Jurrien Timber.