Arsenal: 3 reasons Thomas Partey not worth the investment

It feels like everyone is on board for Thomas Partey coming to Arsenal, so just to be a jerk, here are three reasons why he isn’t the answer.

I’m not sure there has ever been a transfer rumor more universally agreed upon than that of Thomas Partey coming to Arsenal. The Atletico Madrid midfielder has a release clause of £45m, and for that price, we could essentially get the midfielder we’ve needed for over a decade.

Also, the midfielder that we fans have been begging for for years. But while there is so much out there talking about why Partey is perfect, and how he would bring a literal party to this midfield, there isn’t a lot out there talking about the shortcomings of a potential move for Partey. So I wanted to go ahead and remind everyone that he isn’t perfect. If, for no other reason, then because I’m bored.

No, not really. It’s also to deaden expectations a bit. If we expect the world from Partey, chances are he won’t deliver. Just ask Nicolas Pepe how that goes. You can be as good as you want, but when everyone loves you and expects immediate magic, it’s easy to fall short.

And so, without further ado, here are three reasons why Thomas Partey is not worth that significant investment. We start with No. 3.

3. Matteo Guendouzi

Let us not forget that there is a young man named Matteo Guendouzi who was ticketed to revolutionize this midfield. I still think he is on the path to do that, but only if we stop throwing things in his path and start letting him reassume the business of taking control of this midfield.

In his first year, it was easy. He quickly multiplied his value exponentially just by playing the game the way he played it. This year, he’s not had the chance to follow up and it’s left him sputtering for game time.

Replacing him, or throwing another midfielder in his way, doesn’t help him. Sure, he has to fight and earn his spot, but that’s what this year is about. Blocking him again could lead to further frustration when it just isn’t necessary.

Moving on to No. 2.