Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey in action. (Getty Images)
The Athletic (h/t Mirror) has claimed that the Gunners have ‘intensified’ their pursuit of Thomas Partey, but insist on lowering the fee rather than match his release clause.
Thomas Partey has been one of the consistent players for Atletico Madrid over the last couple of seasons. The defensive midfielder has established himself in the La Liga and has enjoyed a very great season.
The Ghanaian star joined Atletico as an 18-year-old in 2011 and played for the junior team before making his debut in the 2015 season. Since then, he has gone on to make 180 first-team appearances, scoring 15 goals and 12 assists.
The player has been an important part of the first-team, making 41 appearances across all competitions this season and causing serious damage to the opposition.
Arsenal have lacked the depth and steel in the midfield. Lucas Torreira faced issues with his form and then picked up injuries. Granit Xhaka had issues and was also stripped off captaincy under Unai Emery. And now, Matteo Guendouzi has been missing in the squad since the full-time fiasco vs Brighton.
Partey has been a dynamic player at Atletico and is really powerful and technically sound. For Arsenal, who have issues to address in the midfield, a player like Partey could represent a massive coup.
In simple terms, a player like Partey will add great value and depth to the current midfield options and give Mikel Arteta an extra pair of legs, someone who is proven and has the ability too.
Partey, having played a lot of minutes, has already got a healthy amount of top-flight experience, and has shown everyone his defensive capacity.
The 27-year-old star is also a brilliant long-range shooter and has the ability to create space for himself and his teammates. The video above shows some of his fantastic long-range goals for Atletico Madrid.
Most importantly for Arsenal, the player could solve the midfield conundrum and could take up the responsibility of being the initiator of Arsenal’s attack from the deeper areas. Thomas Partey joining Arsenal this summer will help the Gunners in the long run.