Thomas Partey signs for Arsenal
Thomas Partey has signed for Arsenal. He has put pen to paper on a four year contract with the North London side. He will wear the number 18 shirt.
The Ghanaian midfielder has been Arsenal’s primary transfer target this summer and the Gunners have finally gotten a deal over the line to take Partey to the Emirates. They were told by Atletico early in the window that the 27 year old would not be allowed to leave the Madrid-based club unless his 45 million release clause was triggered.
It was widely reported that the North London club were unwilling to meet Atletico’s demands and were hoping the Spanish giants would soften their stance on the player as time progressed. The player’s inclination towards a move to Arsenal has been common knowledge for a long time but he was not prepared to force his way out of the club.
As the end of the window approached, it was reported that Arsenal had an outside chance at best of signing Partey due to their inability to move existing players on to create space in the squad and free up finances.
Arsenal waited until deadline day to trigger the Ghanaian midfielder’s buyout clause and once this was done, the medical and personal terms were completed in record time. The player will now link up with his national team before returning to meet his new teammates and prepare to make his debut in the North London club’s next Premier League game against Manchester City at the Etihad.
On Partey’s transfer, technical director Edu Gaspar said:
“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.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the following on the 27 year old’s arrival:
“We have been watching Thomas for a while, 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.”
Lucas Torreira’s loan move to Atletico Madrid has been confirmed. The Rojiblancos have the option to make the move permanent next summer.
