ESPN pundit Stewart Robson has been discussing Arsenal’s recent signing Thomas Partey ahead of the club’s trip to the Etihad Stadium this weekend to face Manchester City.
The Gunners signed the Ghanaian from Atletico Madrid on transfer deadline day after they paid his minimum fee release clause of £45m, leaving the La Liga giants stunned. Ahead of the fixture which will see Mikel Arteta, once again, pit his wits against his former mentor Pep Guardiola, Robson has been full of praise for the 27-year-old and described him as “exactly what Arsenal have been looking for.”
Here is what the pundit, a former Arsenal midfielder himself, had to say:
“He’s exactly what Arsenal have been looking for, someone that can do every aspect of midfield play. He can get forward, he can pass the ball, he can tackle, he’s athletic enough to cover the full-backs and be a good screen for his centre-halves, good player and a good signing for Arsenal.”
Is Thomas Partey the player Arsenal have been missing for years?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts…
It’s clear from Robson’s comments that he is an admirer of Arsenal’s most recent acquisition and suggested that in his view, he is the all-round midfielder the club have been missing for some time.
Partey made three appearances for Diego Simeone’s side at the start of this season prior to completing his move to the Emirates Stadium and according to WhoScored, he earned an average performance rating of 7.09/10.
It is worth noting, the £45m-rated man has been performing at this high level for quite some time, as can be seen by the fact that during the entire 2019/20 campaign he earned a rating of 7.08/10 in La Liga and an even more impressive 7.55/10 in Europe’s premier competition, the UEFA Champions League (as per WhoScored).
As such, we feel Robson is entitled to feel excited about seeing him come into the North London club’s midfield.