Thomas Partey
Arsenal technical director Edu has revealed the club are ‘hungry’ for their first Premier League title since 2004 after completing the swoop of Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey.
The Ghana international joined the north London side on transfer deadline day on Monday after they triggered the £45million release clause in his contract with the Spanish outfit.
The 27-year-old joined centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, winger Willian, midfielder Dani Ceballos and goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson in joining the club in the summer transfer window as the Gunners splashed £90 million to help boss Mikel Arteta following last season’s FA Cup win.
And speaking to Arsenal’s official website, Invincible Edu claimed his side— having signed Partey after seven months of groundwork—are now hungry to challenge for the title with their new ‘quality’ additions.
“One day I would like to show the fans how we work, or how we worked because if you saw my plan six or seven months (213 days) ago when I did it with Mikel, Thomas was there already,” Edu said.
“So many things to do, so many meetings, we had to see how we were going to buy the player, if we had the financial situation to buy the player, the legal process, the financial process, talking to the player and talking to the agent, but we did it.
“I think we improved the squad’s quality and physicality. If you see Willian, he brings us experience and a very special physicality in terms of speed. If you see Gabriel, he gives us a lot of physicality and presence.
“Dani, quality. Thomas, physicality, quality and mentally he is very strong. But in the end if you see all these players we brought to the club, they are very good here [points to legs], but they are better here [points to head].
The Gunners have not won the Premier League since they went the entire top-flight season undefeated 16 years ago, a squad Edu formed a part of.