Thomas Partey with Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta. (imago Images)
As per a report by Italian outlet Daily News 24 (h/t Football.london), Juventus have been linked with a surprise swoop for Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey. The Ghana international was only signed from Atletico Madrid last summer but he is now linked with the Serie A giants.
The report mentions that Juve are even willing to offer ex-Gunner, Aaron Ramsey, in a player plus cash deal. Mikel Arteta’s side paid £43million for Partey just last year and he has been a regular starter whenever fit. Here, we look at why any deal involving Partey’s exit is detrimental to the Gunners.
Given the amount of money spent on him last year, Partey should be the foundation of Arsenal’s midfield. He is one player Arteta should look to build (or re-build) his Arsenal midfield around. And he has already shown that he wants to do that. Partey featured almost every time for his team when he was fit this season.
A couple of bouts with injury should not make Arteta abandon Partey altogether. It was his first season in London and the player himself admitted that he was getting used to football in England during that time. Hence, giving Partey a couple of seasons more in Arsenal’s midfield is the right thing to do here.
Partey’s injury record is also pretty amazing when we consider his time in Spain. He can be counted on as a dependable player and Arsenal should do everything in their power to hold him. That becomes even more important when the current state of the club’s midfield is taken into account.
Partey plays in defensive midfield, a position where Arsenal don’t have a lot of players. Granit Xhaka, a player capable of playing there, is heavily linked with a move to AS Roma, as per a report by Football.london. Dani Ceballos played in the midfield for Arteta this season but he was only a loan signing from Real Madrid.
The Evening Standard also links the Gunners with moves for midfielders Albert Sambi Lokonga and Ruben Neves. That shows the club’s desire to strengthen in their midfield. So it makes no real sense in losing a dependable midfielder who they already possess. Another headache for Arteta would be Mohamed Elneny’s expiring contract.
The Egyptian will only have one year left on his Arsenal deal after this month, signalling that the Gunners cannot rest easy with regards to their midfield options for the future. The potential terms of transfer mentioned above also make little sense to the Gunners, even if it includes Aaron Ramsey returning to the Emirates.
The Welshman will be 31 by the end of 2021, while Partey just turned 28 earlier this month. The Ghanaian midfielder, according to Arteta (h/t BBC), has the potential to provide his team with things that are different from any other player in the squad. It makes no sense for the club to part ways with him after just one year.
