Nigel Winterburn urges Arsenal to sign Thomas Partey before the deadline
Nigel Winterburn urges Arsenal to conclude a deal to sign Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid this summer
Nigel Winterburn has urged Arsenal to conclude a deal to sign Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid before Monday’s transfer deadline.
The north London side have been credited with an interest in the Atletico Madrid midfielder in recent weeks as Mikel Arteta ponders adding more firepower to his squad before the transfer window closes at 23:00 BST on Monday night.
Arsenal have also been linked with a move to sign Lyon star Houssem Aouar this summer as the Gunners look to prepare their squad for an assault on the top four in the Premier League this season.
However, despite all of the speculation, it remains to be seen whether the Gunners will be able to conclude a deal to land either player before Monday’s deadline.
Former Arsenal defender Winterburn has now voiced his belief that the Gunners should be concentrating on a deal to bring Partey to The Emirates ahead of Aouar.
Speaking in an interview quoted by Metro, Winterburn said: “Players like Thomas Partey and Houssem Aouar are players that I’m pleased to see Arsenal linked with.
“They are different types of players that can bolster a midfield. I really like Partey because he is quick, solid and powerful off the ball as much as on it.
“There have been times in the past when Arsenal fail to break things down because of the pace of other teams on the counterattack, which is something that Partey could come in to do.
“He takes the ball in tight situations and has the power and the ability to go past the opposing midfield players. Once you start to eliminate in this way as Partey does, you tend to open space in and around the opposition’s defence.
“As always with Arsenal it takes a long time to get things done. We’re just going to have to again wait and see, but I don’t believe that Arsenal have the money to bring them both in.
“Also, when discussing ideal signings, we forget to consider whether those players want to join Arsenal, and that’s the most important thing.
“So, we’ve got to wait and see, but my preference of the two would be Thomas Partey.”
Ghana international Partey, 27, has made one substitute appearance in La Liga for Atletico Madrid so far this season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are currently preparing for their next Premier League game – a home clash against Sheffield United on Sunday – after they lost 3-1 to Liverpool FC at Anfield on Monday night.
The north London side are aiming to try and break back into the top four this term after they ended up eighth and won the FA Cup last season.
