Arsenal: How Manuel Locatelli & Thomas Partey would work in midfield

When Mikel Arteta and Edu submitted their transfer plans to the Arsenal board before the end of last season every supporter would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in that meeting. What did it say? How many pages were there? Was Manuel Locatelli in there somewhere?

Even those who don’t have to toil through the weekly trials and tribulations of watching Arsenal will have earmarked the midfield as the most important area of the squad to tend to. Mohamed Elneny made 41 appearances last season. Says it all.

As Granit Xhaka prepares to bid farewell along with Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira, reinforcements become essential.

Albert Sambi Lokonga will add depth and become an understudy to Thomas Partey, while Joe Willock may be kept on to offer the more natural box-to-box alternative with an eye for goal. Even in his case, if Arsenal’s low valuation is met he will be moved on.

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Arsenal: How Manuel Locatelli & Thomas Partey would work in a double midfield pivot as Arteta pushes to sign midfielder in summer transfer window

Elneny could well stay as he has two legs and two arms and knows how to keep possession of a football. That area of the pitch is threadbare.

And while Lokonga is the mould of signing Arsenal should be making – young, technically strong, huge upside and resale value – arguably the most important signing Arteta and co will make this summer is who sits alongside Partey in the centre of midfield.

Xhaka, for all his highlighted flaws, provides Arsenal will stability, progression and leadership. Without him the side falls to pieces and while there are a plethora of players who can come in to take his place, be them near replica players or a different ilk of midfielder, they have to be an upgrade.

Manuel Locatelli certainly is.

Profiling a whole range of midfielders this summer who could come in and replace Xhaka, offering similar qualities but with general improvements across the board, the Italian featured high up – if not at at the top – on them all.

With Sassuolo’s CEO claiming Arsenal have made an offer for him, that has been tempered by Goal’s Charles Watts who claims Gunners officials have denied making any bid, although their interest is genuine. It could, however be classic negotiation tactics to get Juventus to pay up.

Naturally, those inside the club would deny making such a move for fear of weakening their position, and with Juventus cash-strapped, it’s a transfer that can’t be ruled out conclusively.

Given the interest is real, Arteta clearly has a plan in place for how his side should look next season, which also means he has a plan for Partey. It’s a partnership that would flourish.

Continued…