Mikel Arteta Raises Expectations For New Gunner Thomas Partey

There is a reason why Arsenal FC manager Mikel Arteta wanted Thomas Partey so badly. It took $58 million to take in the 27-year-old midfielder from Atletico Madrid. Now, he needs to prove that he is worth the chase.

The great thing about Partey is that he is a player that can help on both ends of the field. Hence, it comes as no surprise that Arsenal pushed for a deal, something that went down on the final day of the transfer window. Now, it will be up to Arteta to make the necessary adjustments and come up with necessary formations to get the most out of the Ghanaian player.

"We believe he has the right qualities, with his character and his personality and as well with his technical qualities and positional options that he can give to the team," Arteta said of Partey via the club’s official website.

"I have a few things in mind that I want to start to train with the team and [Partey's signing] is going to give us a little bit more adaptability and more balance in defending and attacking transitions and the way we have to set up certain structures to attack better in certain moments of the game," he continued.

As of this writing, Partey has yet to see action for the Gunners. Though there were pictures of an Arsenal shirt with his name at the back, an actual photo of the Ghanaian in the uniform has yet to surface.

But Partey recently sent a message to Arsenal fans via the team’s official Twitter account.

"Hello Gunners. Thanks so much for the love, for the messages I’ve received," he said in the video. "I can’t wait to be part of you guys. I can’t wait to join the team. It’s a great feeling to be part of a family like this and thanks so much for the love. I feel so grateful. I feel so amazed. And don’t forget – No Thomas, no Partey."

Partey also thanked his Atletico Madrid supporters via his Instagram account after his move to Emirates Stadium. He joined Atletico when he was just a teenager, debuting for Diego Simeone in 2015.

"Dear Atletico fans, today I only have words of gratitude with you," Partey’s post read.