The Argentina defender was linked with Atletico Madrid last summer but ended up staying with the Eredivisie champions and has since emerged as a key target for Barcelona to replace Junior Firpo.

The £50million rated Ghanian international is thought to be Arteta's No1 target this summer with the club desperate for a defensive midfielder.

When Matteo Guendouzi joined Arsenal in an £8million deal from Ligue 2 side Lorient in the summer of 2018, his signing was meant to be one for the future.

Players at the Madrid-based club feared for their futures when the coronavirus led to football's shutdown. But Partey has stepped in to put the squad's minds at rest.

The 20-year-old playmaker has endured a difficult start to life in Spain, having been recruited as the fourth-most expensive player in the world, but hopes that Atletico will help him progress his game.

Around 3,000 Atletico Madrid supporters travelled for their Champions League victory in Liverpool. It came a day after LaLiga announced league games would play behind closed doors.

The four-day Festival was staged as planned in front of 250,000 people, with additional hygiene measures in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, and concluded on March 13. 

Atletico Madrid are reportedly ready to double Thomas Partey's salary to £130,000 a week in order to fend off interest from Arsenal.

The Portuguese star completed a £113million move to Atletico Madrid from Benfica last summer, but has struggled to hit the ground running in Spain and could be offered an escape route.

The midfielder is a top target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side with the club prepared to bid up to £70million as well as offer him a huge salary increase.

The match has since received a huge amount of scrutiny after a huge crowd of 54,000 - with 3,000 fans arriving from Madrid - were allowed to attend the match, against the advice of the WHO.

The Ghanaian midfielder has been heavily linked with a summer move to the Emirates and has a £43million release clause in his current deal - allowing the Gunners to snap him up on the cheap.

Diego Simeone's side prevailed at Anfield on March 11 to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals but it came against a backdrop of sporting uncertainty because of Covid-19.

PETE JENSON IN SPAIN: Atletico know it's unlikely but they have to cling to something. The horizon will look very dark for them otherwise - they would stand to lose around £88m from missed revenue

The pair fell out at Stamford Bridge which resulted in the now Atletico Madrid forward being tossed out of the club. Costa went AWOL just months after Chelsea won the league title in 2017.

David de Gea has signalled his intention to stay as Manchester United's No.1, saying he wants to remain at Old Trafford for 'many years'.

Beckham is targeting a host of household names to bring to Inter Miami and has already sounded out Real Madrid duo Luka Modric and James Rodriguez over a potential move.

The Uruguayan's contract at PSG is up this summer and he is being heavily linked with a move away from Paris, with Atletico the most likely destination.

The most stunning name on the list is £89million flop Antoine Griezmann who only joined from Atletico Madrid last summer but has struggled to convince in Catalonia.

Mikel Arteta had identified Partey as a transfer target earlier in the season, with the Gunners boss hoping to convince the board to strike a deal for the 26-year-old when football returns to normality.

Diego Simeone and his players had medical checks at the club's training ground this week and the 22-year-old full-back has reportedly tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The striker's current deal is set to expire in the summer and he has been linked with a move away from the French champions after almost departing in the January window.

Diego Simeone and his players began their preparations for the restart at the club's Ciudad Deporutiba Atletico de Madrid complex after Spain relaxed lockdown measures this week.

When James Rodriguez slammed home his sixth goal for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup, it was widely agreed that he had the potential to reach the very top. So where did it all go so wrong?

On Friday, a four-hour video conference took place between all 20 Premier League clubs over Project Restart, where tensions were palpable as to how the season should be ended.

Lucas Vazquez has revealed his love of the Premier League, hinting that curiosity could get the better of him and see him leave Real Madrid for England, as Chelsea keep an eye on the winger.

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has heaped praise on Virgil van Dijk, admitting the Liverpool defender's physical attributes make him extremely tough to play against.

Darmian spent four years at United before joining Parma last summer, but saw Rashford make his first-team debut in his first year at the club before France midfielder Pogba joined a year later.

Premier League players might be interviewed at half-time and cameras could placed in dressing rooms as part of the league's plans to revamp broadcasts in Project Restart.

He won't select Trent Alexander-Arnold over Gary Neville right now, but Rafael feels it is only a matter of time before the Liverpool youngster rockets past the level of his former team-mate.

The Manchester City forward, who would become Puma's highest-paid footballer should the deal go through, is also being pursued by rivals Adidas, New Balance and Under Armour.

The Manchester United forward has not played since sustaining a back injury against Wolves in an FA Cup third round replay on January 15, but is nearing full fitness as he trains during lockdown.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: The Premier League will make a desperate plea for unity this week amid claims that the bottom six clubs are sabotaging plans to resume the season.

The Premier League may hold a seven-week 'festival of football' if the season resumes, however it must start by June 19 if it is to be completed, according to The Sun. 

Crystal Palace are confident that Roy Hodgson will not be barred from managing on safety grounds amid the coronavirus crisis when the Premier League resumes.

West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jake Livermore recalls how he took the young left back under his wing when he arrived in Yorkshire as a quiet teenager from Scotland.

Premier League clubs will hold urgent talks with their players this week amid major concerns from footballers over proposals to restart the season. 

Steve Parish has defended attempts to get the season back up and running amid the coronavirus pandemic, stressing not doing so would be a major financial blow to taxpayers and the football community.

If the sport is to return to complete the Premier League and EFL seasons then all matches will have to be played behind closed doors to maintain social distancing measures.

SAMI MOKBEL: Wembley is re-emerging as a site to host Premier League games as part of Project Restart. Plans to play out the remaining 92 fixtures at neutral venues were discussed last Friday.

There is so much uncertainty around the Premier League at the moment that not only do we not know if it will restart, we also don't even know how many teams will be in it for next season.

Sportsmail revealed on Sunday the Premier League want all 20 clubs to commit to doing everything they can to resume in order to prevent financial collapse.

Paul Ince has called on Manchester United to end the 'Paul Pogba circus', backing manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to build a side based around the 'United Way.'

The manager was sacked in November and was paid the same fee in compensation, but part of the agreement means any club wishing to employ him within six months has to repay Spurs that amount.

Liverpool lead second-place Manchester City by 25 points, and Hugo Lloris insists 'everyone' within the game wants to see the 2019-20 campaign reach its natural conclusion on the pitch. 

Life is already beginning to return to the status quo in South Korea, with the coronavirus outbreak now seemingly under control and new cases in single digits following a February peak.

Some Premier League games are set to be shown on YouTube for FREE when the season restarts following the coronavirus lockdown.

EXCLUSIVE: Etihad has a large cargo operation, but has been forced to repurpose 22 of its passenger planes as freighters during the coronavirus pandemic, including the Man City jet.

Cologne have ramped up checks following the three positive tests, a development that will alert the Premier League as they monitor how Germany are attempting to resume football.

While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side are currently in fifth - potentially good enough for the Champions League if Man City are banned - the Blades are just two points behind them.