Representatives of Spanish La Liga champions FC Barcelona have opened talks with agents of Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Teye Partey, The Sun reports.
This comes in the wake of the slowing-moving nature of recent negotiations with club Arsenal for a contract extension.
Partey, who is said to prefer a stay in north London, will be out of contract at the end of June.
However, manager Mikel Arteta confirmed on the final day of the English Premier League that he would like to keep the Ghanaian.
“Thomas respects Arsenal massively and loves living in London, but he also knows his worth and wants a deal that reflects his standing at the club,” The Sun is quoted as saying.
Other interests in the Ghanaian had come from Saudi giants.
However, FC Barcelona see the move as a cut-price fix for their engine room with boss Hansi Flick, a big admirer of the ex-Atletico Madrid star.
Partey joined Arsenal in 2020 and has largely been sidelined due to injury.
