In his first press conference as an Arsenal player, Thomas Partey has opened up on how ‘important’ Mikel Arteta and chief Edu Gaspar were to his decision to join the Gunners.
As per the Independent, Arsenal’s hierarchy approved the move to trigger the midfielder’s £45m (€50m) release clause at Atletico Madrid after a personal request from Arteta.
The 27-year-old admitted that the gaffer and Edu were ‘very important’ to his decision to join, with Partey adding that he had to ‘accept’ the offer after the club’s ‘exciting’ plans were revealed to him.
Edu played for the north London outfit for four-and-a-half-years in the early 2000s, with the Brazilian returning to the club as a technical director last summer. He’s already making his mark.
Partey met the English media for the first time after he returned to London following Ghana’s 5-1 win against Qatar on Monday, in which he bagged two assists.
See More: What Mikel Arteta told Thomas Partey in first conversation after Arsenal transfer
Thomas Partey on how Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar convinced him to sign for Arsenal… pic.twitter.com/V5NBnO3VVI
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“He was very important, him and Edu, they told me about their plans and it was so exciting I had to accept it.”
Arsenal fans will absolutely love to hear that Arteta and Edu’s ‘exciting’ plans for the club have won over a long-standing transfer target that could give a massive boost to the team.
Partey is the exact kind of box-to-box midfielder that the Gunners have been crying out for.
The ace’s defensive relentlessness is well-documented, but the Ghanaian doesn’t often receive the plaudits he deserves for his comfortable passing and excellent ability to drive forward from midfield.
Partey showed his range – and teased how he can link up with someone like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with a wonderful long-range assist for Ghana against Qatar.