Thomas Partey
Arsenal beat transfer deadline a few minutes to closure to secure the signature of Thomas Partey for a colossal £45 million (€50m/$58m) for four years after persistent pursuit on Monday.
And to the Gunners Manager, Mikel Arteta, the persistent chase was worthwhile taking into account the midfielder’s dynamism and great energy.
The Black Stars deputy captain and former Atletico Madrid man becomes the seventh highest African player on the continent, and he is expected to train with the English outfit next week.
Partey, 27, has been handed the 18 shirt and would pocket £250,000 every week from his £45m release clause, featuring for the Londoners.
He was expected to join the senior national soccer side yesterday in Turkey for their international double friendlies against Mali and Qatar on October 9 and 12 respectively.
His new manager, after succeeding in sealing the deal, said, “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.”
Arsenal Technical Director Eduardo César Daud Gaspar, speaking of the Ghanaian midfielder, said, “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,” he said.
By Kofi Owusu Aduonum