There are lots of happy Arsenal fans around this morning, and after two months of frustration and impatience, we have finally got the beast of a midfielder that we have been crying out for for decades.
Tomas Partey is a highly experienced 27 year-old who has spent the last 8 years at Atletico Madrid, and he would appear to be the missing link that Mikel Arteta has been looking for this summer. Our boss is really looking forward to seeing him in an Arsenal shirt. “We have been watching Thomas for a while,” Arteta told Arsenal.com. “so we’re now delighted to add such a high quality player to our squad. He is a dynamic midfielder with great energy. He brings a lot of experience from a top club that has competed at the highest level in La Liga and the Champions League for several years.
“We’re very impressed with his attitude and his approach to the game. He’s an intelligent footballer and we’re looking forward to him integrating into our system and contributing to the progress we’re building at the moment at the club.”
High praise indeed from our boss, who knows a bit about what makes a top midfielder. Arteta’s partner in crime, Arsenal’s Technical director Edu, clearly believes Partey is a “brilliant addition” to the club and will fit into Arteta’s plans. “Thomas has all the right attributes to be a top player for Arsenal. He is a leader on and off the pitch and he is exactly the kind of player and person we want at the club. We already feel like we know Thomas very well based on the work we have done analysing his performances closely in recent times.
“With his all-round game and positive aggressive style, he will be a brilliant addition to our squad. We’ve made a strong start to the season and we want to continue to build on this with Thomas now part of our club.”
With Gabriel looking like a brilliant addition to our back line as well, and with Partey in front of him, it looks like Arteta has given the Gunners a solid spine on which to build the team into a more well-oiled machine.
Onwards and Upwards!