Arsenal left it late but they finally got their man – signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey on deadline day.
Partey has been on the Gunners’ radar all summer but they had refused to meet his £45million release clause before dramatically doing so just hours ahead of Monday’s 11pm cut-off.
While Arsenal will be delighted to land one of their targets, Liverpool fans will especially be sick at the sight of him.
The Atletico midfielder produced a dominant display against the Reds in the Champions League last season.
talkSPORT.com takes a look at what he will bring to Arsenal…
Why has he joined Arsenal?
Partey has also been linked with Chelsea in recent weeks but Arsenal were the only club seriously in for him and that was where he wanted to go.
He is a boyhood Gunners fan and has spoken publicly about his desire to play in England one day. At 27, he wants a new challenge.
He was desperate to join what was then Unai Emerys side last summer, but the club were unwilling to fork out the exit fee.
In an interview with ESPN last summer, the Ghana international said: The Premier League is a good league, its very competitive and has some of the best players in the world.
Hopefully, one day. I would like to play there. My agents are on it so I will leave everything for them.
Partey has made no secret of his desire to play in the Premier League
What kind of player is he?
The holding role has evolved over the years, so much that the classic box-to-box midfielder is an increasing rarity.
Most teams split the responsibilities in midfield among two, or maybe three, players these days – but Partey does it all.
The Ghanaian’s stats reveal a complete midfielder who is equally capable in both defence and attack.
In last season’s Champions League, Partey has averaged 3.6 tackles per game and 1.5 interceptions, providing excellent protection for his back four.
Then in attack, he makes 1.6 key passes and completes almost two dribbles per 90, which is rather impressive for someone in his position.
Partey can keep things ticking over, too. He was making more than 60 passes per game in this season’s Champions League.
All of those qualities were on show as he dominated Liverpool’s midfield during the 1-0 victory at the Wanda Metropolitano in February.
The 27-year-old has been one of the main reasons Diego Simeone’s side have been so solid in defence since his emergence in 2015.
And the more you watch him, the more you realise that £45m is an absolute bargain in today’s market.
£45m gets you a complete midfielder
What have the experts said?
Simeone is a huge fan of his and will no-doubt be desperately disappointed that Partey has left this summer.
Back in January 2019, the Argentine boss claimed the midfielder could’ve easily played for either of the two big Manchester clubs.
SImeone said: “Thomas is an amazing player. He could have played for Manchester City [or] Manchester United.
Were talking about a great player here. I rate him very highly.
Simeone also believes Partey has gone under the radar because he arrived from Ghana and came through Atleti’s academy.
“I could say so many things [about Thomas], but with some of them I have to shut up,” Simeone said in October last year.
“I’m very happy with Thomas. If he had come from an English or German team, he would be [lauded] but he’s from the academy and he’s just Thomas.
“He has been working for many years, non-stop.”
Simeone reckons Partey is underappreciated by the football world
European football expert Andy Brassell believes he’ll be a great signing for Arsenal, adding: I think people look at him and stereotype him sometimes as a tackler and a strong man, and he does have a bit of that side to him, but he is extremely graceful on the ball.
Hes good at dribbling round people, hes good at going through the gears and hes good at pulling the team forward.
So I think that would be very, very useful for Arsenal.
How he will fit in at Arsenal?
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wasn’t a fan of Matteo Guendouzi or Lucas Torreira, moving both those players out on deadline day, while Granit Xhaka’s problems at the Emirates have been well-documented.
Real Madrid’s Dani Ceballos re-joined on loan but added midfield depth was high on Arteta’s wish list.
Long story short, Arsenal desperately needed a player like Partey.
The club have been criticised for their defensive frailties in recent seasons, but Gunners legend Sol Campbell believes their true problem lies in midfield.
He told talkSPORT earlier this season: For me, its the controlling of the game. The middle of the park is where theyre lacking.
Partey is exactly what Campbell thinks is missing at Arsenal
The steeliness and the balance just isnt there. Its the middle of the park, you win or lose a lot of games there.
You can have a strong back or a strong front, but if you havent got a middle thats really solid, then you have forwards dropping too deep because theyre not getting fed and defenders doing too much.
You get less attacks against you [with a stronger midfield], because you control the game more and you have the ball more.
You win second balls and you dont give silly fouls away. Yes, youve got to sort out the back. But in the middle of the park, theyve got to get someone solid.”
Partey is that man, he’s been doing that very job at Atletico Madrid for years and he’s now in his prime at 27.
He could be a gamechanging signing for Arsenal…
How Arsenal could line-up with Thomas Partey