According to Goal’s Charles Watts, Arsenal star Thomas Partey is very likely to be given a new shirt number in the coming days.
The Ghanaian joined us on transfer deadline day last summer for £45 million from Atletico Madrid. (BBC) He was Arsenal’s marquee signing last year and many expected him to be given a shirt number worthy of his stature.
However, Partey wore the number 18 shirt and that surprised a few. He spent his final four seasons at Atletico Madrid wearing the number five shirt and he dawns the same for Ghana as well. Five was also his number when he was at Mallorca seven years ago. He really is fond of that number, isn’t he?
Sokratis Papastathopoulos owned the number five shirt at Arsenal last season, but the Greek international is no longer with us. That shirt is now up for grabs and fans really want Partey to take over his favourite number. It looks like that will happen now.
Arsenal star Thomas Partey will be given the number five shirt
Asked if Partey will get the number five shirt, Watts said on his YouTube show today: “It looks that way.
“I was talking to someone close to the Thomas Partey camp over the weekend about this. He said it is looking very likely that Thomas Partey will get the number five shirt for next season.
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“It’s a boost for Thomas Partey. It’s his favourite shirt number and it does look like he will be getting that number.”
Arsenal’s last five number five’s
The number five shirt hasn’t really been a popular one at Arsenal over the years. Predictably, it has been central defenders who have dawned that number over the last two decades, and recent ones haven’t really been that great for us.
As mentioned earlier, Sokratis was the latest to wear the number five shirt. He started his Arsenal career in tremendous fashion, but his form slowly dipped and he was eventually released from the club in January.
Gabriel Paulista wore the number five shirt for a couple of seasons and he had his problems as well. He became an instant fan favourite when he arrived, but he, like Sokratis, quickly found himself out of Arsenal’s plans.
Thomas Vermaelen, our former skipper, wore the number five for five seasons and he was a decent centre-half too. However, injuries all but ruined his career at the top level.
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Kolo Toure owned that shirt before Vermaelen and the Ivorian was a real star. People only remember him these days for his underwhelming spells at Manchester City and Liverpool, but he was absolutely amazing for us at one point.
Club legend Martin Keown wore the number five shirt for 10 whole seasons at Arsenal and he wasn’t bad, was he? If Partey has to emulate someone when he gets his favourite shirt number, let’s hope it’ll be the legendary Englishman.
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