Juventus hold talks to sign Arsenal star Mikel Arteta wants to keep - Reports

According to reliable journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus have held fresh talks with Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, whom Mikel Arteta is keen to keep in the club.

As the Gunners signed Declan Rice, it looked Partey could leave the north London club in the summer. The Ghanaian midfielder, though, has had a good pre-season and arguably outshone Rice in a few matches.

While The Sun previously reported that Arsenal would let go of Partey for £30 million, the situation has changed in recent times with the player increasingly likelier to stay. Juventus' recent interest, though, could make things tricky.

Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid back in 2020. He has since made 99 appearances for the club, scoring five goals and setting up another four. The 30-year-old made 33 Premier League appearances last term as Arteta's bunch finished as the runner-up in the English top flight.

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"This guy is on a different level" - Oleksandr Zinchenko backed Arsenal teammate to become one of the best in the world

During his young Arsenal career, William Saliba has already convinced fans of his undeniable quality. While his career at the Emirates started with loan moves away from the club, the Frenchman was a key piece of the puzzle last season.

Apart from his undeniable defensive qualities, Saliba is an adept passer of the ball, which makes him a handful in world football. Oleksandr Zinchenko spoke about his first impression of Saliba, telling Rio Ferdinand's FIVE channel:

"Rolls-Royce. Rolls-Royce. So good. I love him so much. Absolutely. I did not know him before I came to Arsenal. When I saw him in the first training session, I said who is this guy. The first game against Chelsea in pre-season, zero mistakes. When he scored the goal against Bournemouth, I went on my knees, because I said this guy, he can do everything."

Zinchenko added:

“He can do everything. I played 100 games, I did not score yet, and he did in two games. Defensively, he makes no mistake. He is so calm on the ball. For me, the difference between a world-class centre-back and a good one is when you play with the ball when you can put the ball out and take no risk."

Zinchenko, however, provided tips on how Saliba can further improve and become and become a leader in the future. He said:

“This guy is on a different level. It seems like there is still a lot of space to improve. He needs communication, to be a leader, to push the others and manage them.”

Saliba recently penned a contract extension with Arsenal, stretching his stay at the club until 2027. With the likes of Jurrien Timber, Jakub Kiwior, and Gabriel Magalhaes by his side, the Frenchman will be at the heart of a spectacular defensive unit in 2023-24.