Charles Watts, the Arsenal correspondent for Goal, has been discussing how Arsenal’s new signing Thomas Partey will fit into Mikel Arteta’s side during a recent video on his YouTube channel.
The North London club signed the 27-year-old on transfer deadline day after they met his £45m release clause, adding to their midfield options following the departures of Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi on loan.
When asked exactly how the Ghanaian would fit into Arsenal’s current system, the journalist responded by saying:
“I don’t think we’re going to see that 3-4-3 for much longer. I think Partey’s arrival is going to change that. I think Arteta hinted at it when he talked about him earlier in the week.
“I just think the 3-4-3 has almost been something Arteta has had to do because he hasn’t had the midfield options that he wanted or the players in midfield that would allow him to feel confident enough to play with just four at the back.”
Will Partey's arrival lead to an immediate formation change?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts…
It’s clear from Watts’ comments that he believes the arrival of Partey could lead to a switch-up in the system and he suggests it is a change the Arsenal boss would have wanted to make earlier, had he had the right personnel available.
Having made such a significant investment in the player and given his average performance rating in La Liga last season was an impressive 7.08/10 (as per WhoScored), we believe Arteta could well be working hard behind the scenes in order to accommodate his new signing immediately and fingers crossed, improve his midfield from this coming weekend.