It’s no secret that Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey is being courted by Arsenal for some time now, with the Gunners now willing to triple the Ghanian star’s current salary in a bid to lure him to the Emirates, as per latest reports.
Partey, who has been at Atletico since 2012, made his first-team bow three years later, after spending some time with the club’s reserve team, and two loan spells at Mallorca and Almeria respectively.
The 27-year-old has since amassed 119 appearances for Los Rojiblancos in La Liga.
This season, he has turned out 34 times across all competitions, proving to be a key cog under Diego Simeone’s tutelage.Â
Arsenal monitoring Thomas Partey’s contract situation:
Thomas Partey’s impressive performances have seen him being linked to the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal, with the Premier League outfit being the front-runner for his signature.
The midfielder recently began talks about renewing his contract with Atletico Madrid, but as Los Rojiblancos’ finances have taken a hit due to the coronavirus pandemic, retaining the player could be tough for the Spanish team.Â
The decision-makers at the Wanda Metropolitano are eager to offer Partey a new contract, in order to increase the release clause on his current deal, which stands at £44.5 million.
As a consequence, Arsenal are planning to take advantage of the situation and lure Partey away from the Spanish capital.
As per reports, he is currently among the lowest earners in Atletico’s squad, and the approach from the Emirates outfit could be too good to turn down.
Should Arsenal spend big on Thomas Partey?
The Premier League club will be wary of overspending on another one-season wonder, having done so with Nicolas Pepe last summer.
The Ivory Coast winger became Arsenal’s record-signing when they spent £72 million to rope him in from Lille.Â
Since then, the jury has been out on Pepe’s mixed performances in his debut season in north London, and it’s safe to say that the 25-year-old has failed to fully adjust to the demanding and physical nature of the Premier League.
Partey, meanwhile, is a physically strong player – a box-to-box midfielder who would add some much-needed steel to the Gunners’ midfield.
The Ghana international is well adept at breaking opposition attacks and winning the ball back. However, he’d need to work on his discipline as he has already collected 10 yellow cards in 25 La Liga games this season. But a large part of that could be down to Atletico’s style of play.
At Arsenal, under the watchful eyes of Mikel Arteta, Thomas Partey could very well develop into a much more complete player.
What would Thomas Partey bring to the table?
Since the start of 2019-20 season, Thomas Partey has recorded 2.4 tackles per game, while he also averages 1.4 interceptions per 90 minutes. Add to that his tally of 1.8 aerial duels won per game, the Ghanian player is just the sort of midfielder Arsenal need at the moment.
He can keep things tight at the middle of the park, which would allow Granit Xhaka or Matteo Guendouzi to join Mesut Ozil further up the pitch.
Moreover, Partey’s arrival would also help the Gunners negotiate the exit of Lucas Torreira, who has had his head turned by Serie A outfit AC Milan.
Coming to the financial side of things, for a player who is about to enter his peak years, a fee of £44.5 million is not too high, even in the post-COVID-19 market.
It has also been claimed that Atletico Madrid may even part ways with their academy product for a sum below his release clause, due to the financial hit they may have to endure if Diego Simeone’s men miss out on Champions League football next season.
The verdict:
Thomas Partey and Arsenal are a match made in heaven, with the player’s father making the Gunners’ interest in his son public a couple of weeks ago. The 27-year-old is in the right phase of his career to make the jump to a new sporting project and given his skill set, Partey would surely thrive in the Premier League.
All stats courtesy: Whoscored.com