Arsenal eyeing a move for Atletico Madrid star

Arsenal are keen on signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey in the winter transfer window, according to reports from Ghanaian news outlet GhanaSoccernet. The Gunners, who may lose Aaron Ramsey in January and need reinforcements in midfield, seem to be monitoring the situation.

Despite having helped Atleti to the Europa League triumph last season, Partey has found time on the pitch hard to come by this season. The 25-year-old has managed just over 300 minutes for the Spanish giants whereas last term, he piled up over 50 appearances in all competitions. 

The reports also claim that Diego Simeone is looking for an alteration in his midfield, with Juventus star Rodrigo Bentancur on the Spaniard’s radar. Should the move materialize, the Ghanaian’s position in the pecking order will fall behind the likes of Bentancur, Rodrigo Hernandez and Saul Niguez.

Meanwhile, Gunners boss Unai Emery often plots two central midfielders in Granit Xhaka and Lucas Torreira. Starlet Matteo Guendouzi is another handy option too, but apart from that, the North Londoners don’t have much depth in their midfield.

They are set to lose Ramsey as well, with a host of clubs such as Manchester United and Chelsea supposedly interested.

Partey is an all-action midfielder, someone who is physical, robust and rather solid in the middle of the park. He can also cut through opposition midfield and carry the ball forward. In terms of awareness and positioning, he is right up there amongst the better midfielders in Europe.

However, Arsenal face stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain as Tomas Tuchel is said to be a long-term admirer of Partey.

There are a couple of months to go for January and it will be interesting to see how this transfer battle unfolds. One thing is for sure – there is no doubt regarding Thomas Partey’s prowess. Meanwhile, the Gunners will be looking for a seventh straight league win in a row when they host Leicester City on 22 October.