In a recent report, journalist Mark Brus mentioned that Barcelona are among the clubs hoping to land Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey. It has been stated that the Catalan club would face competition from Atletico Madrid, Al Hilal and Al Ahli in the race to land the Ghanaian talent next summer.
Partey’s Sporadic Role At Arsenal Last Season
Partey managed to play an important role in Mikel Arteta’s squad last season but struggled to nail down a regular first-team spot at the North London club. The Ghana international featured in 16 matches for Arsenal last season but failed to score or create a goal for them on all fronts.
The 31-year-old did well to average 1.0 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 0.6 clearances, 0.6 shots and 0.6 dribbles per 90 minutes in Premier League football. He was even tidy when distributing the ball from midfield after making 90.3% of his attempted passes in league football (stats via whoscored).
Partey is under contract at the London club until the end of this campaign which could give Barcelona a chance to recruit him on a free transfer next summer.
Should Barcelona Boss Hansi Flick Go For Partey?
Partey is a tough-tackling midfielder who can time his challenges well to earn possession back for his team inside his half. He doesn’t hesitate to clear the danger when needed and can strike the ball with power from long range.
The Ghana international is a strong runner with the ball as well and doesn’t give away the ball cheaply in the middle of the park. He is primarily a defensive midfielder but can also play as a right-back or operate as a box-to-box midfielder if asked to do so by his manager.
We can expect Partey to add more bite and steel to Barcelona boss Hansi Flick’s midfield. He has got a wealth of experience at the highest level and won’t take much time to adjust to life at the Nou Camp.
At 31, Partey might still have a few good seasons left in him to play at his best. Therefore, Flick should consider going for a player of his quality next year. Furthermore, Partey is on an expiring contract, so Barca would do well to sign him on a free transfer at the end of this campaign.
