Arsenal transfer business must amplify with Partey injury blow

Thomas Partey was subject to a rather questionable challenge in the first half of the Mind Series match between Arsenal and Chelsea and now looks set to miss the three opening games of the Premier League season, starting with Brentford.

At least he is not out for the season, right? Could have been a lot worse for Arsenal and Thomas Partey, that is for sure. Looking on the bright side, and all that. His latest injury goes hand-in-hand with how his first season has gone in north London went, largely interrupted.

However, there could be a silver lining here.

Yes, the injury to our best midfielder is a tough pill to swallow, especially when Arsenal faces Chelsea and Manchester City in the first three weeks of the Premier League season. However, what Partey’s latest injury might do is force Arsenal and Mikel Arteta to be far more active in the transfer market to bring in bodies in midfield.

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

Arsenal transfer business must amplify with Thomas Partey injury blow as Mikel Arteta’s uninspiring midfield needs bolstering

At the time of writing, only Granit Xhaka, Mohamed Elneny and Albert Sambi Lokonga are Arsenal’s bonafide options who don’t look like departing. This might force Arsenal to accept Newcastle’s offer for 21-year-old Joe Willock, too. A £22m bid from Steve Bruce’s side could very well be taken or should at least be seriously considered. It is a huge sum of money for a player that for many will not nail down a first-team spot for this year at least.

Should Newcastle meet Arsenal’s valuation then that will be a welcome little boost to the transfer kitty, and potentially allow the club to go after its targets with aggression – something that is un-Arsenal-like.

With little over a week until the opening Premier League match, with Partey injured and what must be said is a great offer for Willock, the Gunners transfer business could be set to go full throttle.

That sounds like music to the ears of every Arsenal fan. That said, what we have normally seen over the last five or so years is a slow and steady approach, with many of our signings happening on deadline day when the league is already four to fives games in. That cannot happen this time.

Arsenal has to kick into gear. It is no secret that money has been an issue for the club when it comes to buying players, but the sum paid for Ben White suggests that there is some cash available. Add to that the money from the potential Willock deal and suddenly it could be all systems go.

The time to act is now, especially with a skeleton crew for a midfield. It is so bare that surely at least two players need to be brought in. With the likes of James Maddison, Martin Odegaard, Ruben Neves, and Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes all being linked with a move to the Emirates, at least one of these must come to fruition. A playmaker and central midfielder are required.

Surely with the latest injury to Partey, others moves will be on the back burner for the time being as Arsenal desperately need hands in the middle of the pitch. The thought of potentially having a Xhaka/Elneny partnership for clashes with Brentford, Chelsea, and Manchester City is the stuff of nightmares. Five years on and they’re still playing in midfield together.

New signings must be made – and rather quickly. The club cannot sit on its hands and wait until deadline day like in years gone by; get business quickly and efficiently so the club isn’t behind the eight-ball to start the season.

While the injury to Partey is not ideal, it could be a blessing in disguise. Making the people behind the scenes at the club work feverishly to get deals done instead of playing the long game and penny-pinching.

Arsenal simply has to invest in the squad and get its targets in or risk another season of slipping closer towards being a mid-table side. One can only imagine what the environment around Mikel Arteta will be should no player of quality arrive before August 31. Once again we have seen this movie before, a poor approach to transfer deals and lack of ambition to get them done.

The time is now for Edu and co to earn their money and get the best players into the club and do it now.