Partey time! Arsenal confirm £45m signing in the nick of time
Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey on a long-term contract.
The Spanish club announced the midfielder’s reported £45million release clause was met by the Gunners with minutes to spare on transfer deadline day.
The 27-year-old Ghana international played 35 times last season for Atletico, who say the Gunners put in a bid that matched his release clause with 32 minutes remaining in the window, but the Spanish club weren’t happy.
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“LaLiga informed Atlético de Madrid at 11.28pm on Monday that Arsenal representatives have paid Thomas Partey’s release clause at the sports association’s headquarters,” a statement on Atletico’s website said.
“The player has therefore unilaterally terminated his contract with our club, which ran until June 30, 2023.”
Uruguay midfielder Lucas Torreira has moved in the opposite direction, joining the LaLiga club on a season-long loan.
On the signing of Partey, Arsenal technical director Edu said: “Thomas has all the right attributes to be a top player for Arsenal. He is a leader on and off the pitch and he is exactly the kind of player and person we want at the club. We already feel like we know Thomas very well based on the work we have done analysing his performances closely in recent times.
Welcome to the Partey! 🥳
👋 @Thomaspartey22#NoThomasNoPartey pic.twitter.com/009Er2kZBK
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 5, 2020
“With his all-round game and positive aggressive style, he will be a brilliant addition to our squad. We’ve made a strong start to the season and we want to continue to build on this with Thomas now part of our club.”
Manager Mikel Arteta added: “We have been watching Thomas for a while, so we’re now delighted to add such a high quality player to our squad. He is a dynamic midfielder with great energy. He brings a lot of experience from a top club that has competed at the highest level in La Liga and the Champions League for several years.
“We’re very impressed with his attitude and his approach to the game. He’s an intelligent footballer and we’re looking forward to him integrating into our system and contributing to the progress we’re building at the moment at the club.”
