What will Thomas Partey bring to Arsenal? A thread:

There is a misconception around Partey, that he is just a ball winner whose physicality is his best asset. This could not be further from the truth.

While excellent in both those respects, it’s what he does once he wins the ball that should get Arsenal fans excited. He can dribble out of tight spaces and play a line breaking pass better than most midfielders.

Playing in the middle of a midfield four under Simeone means he’s had to do a bit of everything, making him one of the most complete midfielders in Europe.

He can anchor a midfield if needed, he can charge forward and win the ball back, he can play pinpoint passes in behind, and even score the occasional long range shot, and do it all with more speed and precision than Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos.

Whether he plays in a midfield three with both Xhaka & Ceballos or partners one of them in a midfield two remains to be seen, but Arteta would be wise to play him in a two with Ceballos, who will be freed up to play higher up the pitch thanks to the added protection from Partey.

Technically excellent, positionally intelligent and with the vision and ability to play progressive passes, Arsenal have signed one of the best midfielders around. Welcome to the Partey