Why Selling Thomas Partey Could Be a Grave Transfer Mistake For Arsenal After Masterclass Display

• Arsenal could be committing a huge transfer blunder as they consider selling Thomas Partey
• Partey guided the Gunners to a second-place finish in the 2022-23 EPL season and helped them return to the Champions League
• Nonetheless, the club were willing to listen to offers for their midfield stalwart

Thomas Partey once again proved why he is an indispensable figure in the Arsenal set-up following a majestic display in the heart of the Gunners' midfield against Barcelona in pre-season.

The Ghanaian midfielder completely bossed a midfield duel against Barca, who paraded Manchester City's treble-winning captain Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu, also a Champions League winner with Chelsea and Franck Kessie.

His presence in the middle brought calmness and stability to Arsenal's play, a sharp contrast to the disjointed performance which ensued against Manchester United a couple of days ago.

But all these would have been wishful thinking during the club's pursuit of Declan Rice when they considered shipping the former Atletico Madrid man out.

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Despite his impressive performances, Arsenal were open to selling him, and there was interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia and Italy, as reported by FourFourTwo.

Mikel Arteta's contemplation of letting Partey go surprised many, especially given the player's significant contributions last season, featuring in 33 games and scoring three goals.

However, it seems the Spanish coach has had a change of heart, moreover, after witnessing the 30-year-old's impressive performance on Thursday, July 27. It is safe to say Partey is an essential and indispensable part of his team's setup.

Sports Brief examines why Arsenal would be scoring an own goal if they allowed Thomas to leave the Emirates.

Partey vs Declan Rice

Utilizing Opta's Player Comparison Tool, we can analyze the similarities and differences between these two midfielders.

Thomas Partey holds a slight advantage over his English counterpart in successful tackles, averaging 2.5 per game compared to Rice's 2.2.

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Furthermore, Partey's physical presence and strength also give him the upper hand in successful duels, with a 0.1 advantage, scoring a 58.7% success rate.

In terms of progressive carries, Partey maintains a higher average of 9.1 per 90 minutes, widening the gap between himself and Rice, who records 8.7.

However, Rice outperforms Partey in two aspects - interceptions and passing accuracy. He averages 1.7 interceptions per game compared to Partey's 1.0, and his passing accuracy stands at 88.1% compared to Partey's 88.0%.

Partey vs Jorginho

How does the Ghanaian measure up against former Chelsea midfielder Jorginho? When comparing Thomas Partey to former Chelsea midfielder Jorginho, the Ghanaian comes out on top in all the measured parameters.

Partey outperforms Jorginho in successful tackles, successful duels, progressive carries, interceptions, and passing accuracy.

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His well-rounded skill set and physical attributes give him an advantage over the Italian midfielder.

Partey vs Odegaard

When comparing Thomas Partey to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, the 30-year-old emerges as the dominant force in all aspects of the game.

It is perplexing why the club is not actively resisting interest in their prized asset, considering Partey's superiority over Odegaard.

With his defensive contributions, physical presence, and overall midfield control, Thomas showcases his importance to the team.

Barnes surprised by Arsenal-Partey situation

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Former Liverpool winger John Barnes is shocked Arsenal are considering offloading their Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey.

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"Arsenal potentially selling Thomas Partey would surprise me because I think he's their best defensive midfield player. Is it a personality thing with Partey?," he told Futfanatico, as quoted by Football Ghana.