Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey Would 'Like to Move to England,' Says Father

Arsenal and Manchester United have both been given a boost in their pursuit of reported target Thomas Partey after the Atletico Madrid player's father said his son would "like to move to England."

Partey's agent, Daniel Jimenez, revealed last month that the midfielder's release clause is €50 million (£44 million), per the Mirror's Alex Milne.

Now his father, Hon Adjiingo, has hinted the 25-year-old would be open to a move away from Atleti, and England is an attractive destination, per Enigye FM (h/t Ghana Web, via Hassan Rashed of the Mirror): "I personally told him to move on, if he is not wanted at where he is right now. Because he might be wanted at somewhere else and so he will like to move to England if he gets the chance."

Partey joined Atleti as a youth player in 2012 and, after loan spells at Mallorca and Almeria, debuted in the senior team in November 2015.

In 2017-18, he established himself as a key part of Diego Simeone's first team as he played in 33 of Atleti's La Liga games, 28 as a starter, while also playing a role in their UEFA Europa League triumph.

His game time dropped slightly in 2018-19 as only 22 of his 32 league appearances were as a starter, but he made six starts in the UEFA Champions League and enjoyed another impressively consistent campaign:

It is little surprise he is being linked with some top European clubs, as he boasts a fine blend of attacking and defensive attributes that make him a fine central midfielder.

Given United are losing Ander Herrera this summer and Nemanja Matic is no longer the player he was, Partey could be a fine addition to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad, and they could certainly afford to meet his release fee. 

Arsenal are also in need of midfield reinforcements following the departure of Aaron Ramsey to Juventus on a free transfer.

A Ghana international, Partey will have the chance to impress on the international stage this summer at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Black Stars kick off their Group F campaign against Benin on June 25 before clashes with Cameroon (June 29) and Guinea-Bissau (July 2).