Is Emphasis of Thomas Partey Versatility Down to Current, One Dimensional Midfielders?

Deadline day signing, Thomas Partey, has rightfully sparked a euphoric frenzy among Arsenal supporters.

Though the priority at Arsenal was surely a creative midfielder in the summer window, a coup like that of the now former Atletico man is a great one to say the least.

Partey will surely add some much needed steel to the often time feeble Arsenal midfield with his defensive abilities. Furthermore, his passing abilities going forward will also fit right in to a protagonist way of playing which Mikel Arteta is keen on implementing.

However, while it’s inarguable that Partey is an impressively versatile player, the question I find myself asking is: is the well-roundedness of Partey being overstated due to our current crop of one-dimensional players in the middle of the park?

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• Mikel Arteta provides Gabriel Martinelli injury update after Everton win

To a certain extent, I would have to say so. The Ghanaian is pretty much fantastic in all departments in the midfield, however, he should not be expected to work miracles in the one he is going in to.

While there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the 27-year-old will improve the mid-section of the side, it may be the case that his brilliance is being over-emphasized because of the relatively average individuals that he will be lining up next to.

While the likes of Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka are adequate midfielders, both of them are incredibly one-dimensional players.

Elneny is a player who has an impressive engine and will run through walls for the badge, but other than that, he doesn’t bring much else to the table apart from a bit of tidiness in midfield. Xhaka similarly adds an element of assurance in the middle of the park with his personal passing range and physical presence, but his lack of mobility is blatantly obvious on a great deal of occasions.

Partey is of course, far more flexible than the aforementioned pair and the only player who comes close in terms of all-rounded abiliy in the side is Dani Ceballos. However, that said, the Spaniard does have shortcomings seeing as he is not the most impressive player in terms of athleticism and mobility.

So, all in all, while this may be a quite pessimistic and somewhat cynical way of assessing the clearly multi-talented Partey, it is certainly worth considering as he starts his trek towards being the next Patrick Vieira.

There is a strong belief among most supporters, including myself, that Partey will be the club’s new best midfielder, however it must be acknowledged that even a player as complete as Partey can’t do it alone.