Is Thomas Partey the midfielder Arsenal have been missing?

Atletico Madrid star could be heading to North London

Arsenal may have shown signs of improvement recently, but Mikel Arteta will want to strengthen his squad this summer to help his side challenge for major honours again.

One player that’s been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates is Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey. He’s reportedly keen to join the Gunners, with suggestions that Alexandre Lacazette, Lucas Torreira or Matteo Guendouzi could be sold or swapped to fund a move for the Ghana international.

Central midfield has been a problem area for Arsenal for years now. Would Partey help to fix that issue? We’ve taken a look at what he could offer…

Is he better than what they have?

Each of Arsenal’s central midfielders has their positives, but collectively there’s a real shortage of defensive nous.

Granit Xhaka is an excellent passer, but he’s slow and prone to bad decisions. Torreira has shown promise, but he’s not really pushed on from an encouraging start and his lack of height is a concern.

Joe Willock is best at breaking into the final third, rather than trying to win the ball back, while the technically-gifted Dani Ceballos may not remain at the club when his loan ends. Guendouzi has talent, but Arteta is understood to have doubts over his attitude.

When you look at Arteta’s current options, it’s clear why someone like Partey could be a gamechanger for the Gunners.

Defensive steel

Going back to the late years of the Arsene Wenger era, Arsenal have had a soft centre. They’ve been too easy to play against and a simple run or pass taking out the entire midfield far too often. With the defence given little protection, it’s no surprise that mistakes happened so frequently.