Former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has emphasized the significance of Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey to the Arsenal team.
The former Dutch goal scorer stated that allowing the Black Stars midfielder to depart without a suitable replacement this summer would have been a detrimental decision for the Gunners.
Van Persie strongly believes that Partey’s presence and performance will greatly benefit Arsenal in the upcoming season. He commended Partey’s remarkable skills and contributions on the field, highlighting his midfield distribution and scoring ability.
“If there is any player in that Arsenal dressing room that impressed me greatly is no other person than Thomas Partey,” Van Persie said. “He was great and you could see his distributions in that Arsenal midfield and he scores too.”
Expressing his concerns, van Persie emphasized, “Losing such a player without a brilliant replacement will really affect Arsenal, and Arteta knows these, he needs to stay & help them do great next season,” Van Persie said.
Despite having the opportunity to pursue a lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia, Thomas Partey chose to continue his journey with Arsenal this summer. He recently participated in Arsenal’s victory during the 2023 Emirates Cup and is expected to be in the starting lineup for the Community Shield match against Manchester City on Sunday.