Mikel Arteta told to do one thing in January as £45m star ‘hasn’t been himself’

Add as preferred source on Google

Iconic former Arsenal forward Kevin Campbell has now admitted that Thomas Partey has struggled to make an impact so far this season.

Once more, so far this season, injuries have plagued Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey. The 30-year-old has been restricted to just four Premier League outings, and has not featured for the Gunners since his cameo off the bench against Manchester City in early October.

Having been hurt by Partey’s regular layoffs in previous seasons, Mikel Arteta took action in the recent summer transfer window to guard against this eventuality. The north London outfit shelled out a club-record £105 million fee to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United. The 24-year-old’s presence at the Emirates Stadium, and his quality, reduces the club’s reliance on Partey.

That being said, the Ghanaian is still a top class player and someone that Arteta would want to get plenty of game time out of. When fit and firing, the £45 million former Atletico Madrid ace would surely still form a key part of the Gunners’ midfield contingent alongside Rice. 

However, the reality of his unreliability in terms of availability ought to force Arteta’s hand into planning for life without Partey. There is interest in his services from clubs in Saudi Arabia. The Gunners had the chance to sell Partey to a Saudi Arabian side in the summer but did not take it. They cannot afford to miss that opportunity to cash in should it present itself once again. 

Mikel Arteta must take action on Thomas Partey situation in January 

Arsenal are clearly on the lookout for midfield reinforcements. Both Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz and Al Hilal ace Ruben Neves are thought to be on Edu’s shortlist. However, neither deal will be easy to complete. Arsenal have a limited budget available to them this winter. Selling Partey could fund a move to bring in his replacement, though.

Kevin Campbell certainly believes that his former club need to take action in January. Concerned by Partey’s struggles, he has reiterated the need for fresh blood. Speaking to Highbury Squad, he said, “Thomas Partey, the general, he hasn’t been himself, he’s been injured, he’s spent loads of time out, and there’s the African Cup of Nations coming up, so we do need bodies in there.”

The African Cup of Nations is due to start in mid-January, with the final taking place on February 11th. If Partey is in any way fit, he will surely attend the tournament as part of the Ghana squad. He will miss important Arsenal matches, even if his country don’t make it far in the competition. This makes the need for new signings all the more urgent.

The time has come for Arsenal to move on from Partey. Arteta needs to recognise this.