Why Thomas Partey would be a massive coup for Arsenal

According to The Athletic, Arsenal’s board turned down Unai Emery’s request to sign Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey this past summer.

Thomas Partey, 26, was one of the three players the former Arsenal manager wanted to bring in to strengthen his team ahead of the campaign. The other two were Harry Maguire and Wilfried Zaha, the report adds.

Thomas Partey has been one of the consistent players for Atletico Madrid over the last couple of seasons. (Getty Images)

Unai Emery did not get any of his main targets and was ultimately sacked following the team’s woeful run of form. The Gunners have temporarily replaced him with Freddie Ljungberg.

Speaking about Partey, the defensive midfielder is finally establishing himself as one of the first names on Diego Simeone’s team sheet after spending time out on loan at Mallorca and Almeria in recent seasons. The Ghana international has been a fixture for Atletico Madrid this season, managing 19 appearances across all competitions so far.

With the 26-year-old enjoying another impressive campaign in the La Liga, Arsenal would be wise to rekindle their interest in him. Arsenal have made a poor start to the Premier League campaign with the team currently sitting 9th in the table.

One of the biggest reasons for the Gunners’ wretched start to the season is the defence, which has leaked 24 goals in the league alone. None of Sokratis Papastathopoulos, David Luiz, Calum Chambers and Rob Holding has lived up to the standards.

Arsenal players upset after going a goal down against Leicester City. (Getty Images)

Plus, the Gunners have seriously lacked grit and steel in their midfield, often making it easy for the opposition to dominate the game.

Lucas Torreira has struggled to reach his best form this term and was played out of position at times by Emery. Granit Xhaka has long divided fans at Arsenal and across the Premier League. He fell out with the fans earlier this season as the 27-year-old was booed off the pitch in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at the Emirates.

Although the Swiss has been recalled into the starting XI by Ljungberg, Xhaka lacks the qualities to dominate games week in and week out for the Gunners. That’s why signing someone like Partey would make sense.

Partey is a dynamic player with a rocket of a shot in his locker, and doesn’t lack the technical ability either. His ability to play in the defence has made him a very resourceful presence at Atletico.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey in action. (Getty Images)

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The Ghanaian is powerful, energetic, technically proficient and can cover plenty of ground. He can also drive forward with the ball before allowing the attackers to find the net. In the video below, one could get a glimpse of the midfielder’s style of play and the qualities he could bring to Arsenal.

Verdict

An all-action midfielder, Partey would be an upgrade over Xhaka and would instantly improve Arsenal’s midfield. If Arsenal manage to land him, the signing will represent a massive coup and would turn Arsenal into one of the league’s best once again.