Thomas Partey
concluded the 2019-20 season as the third Atlético player with the most minutes played, 3,573 in 46 games (four goals), a figure only surpassed by Oblak and Saúl
.
His absence due to injury in the Champions League quarter-final match against Leipzig was completely decisive, with
the rojiblanco team being outmatched by the Germans in the center of the field
and conceding a goal in the last minutes just down the middle strip that he was fluent in Ghanaian.
A footballer in full evolution, growing by leaps and bounds year after year
and with a clause of 50 million that for a long time seemed low for a player of only 27 years and no apparent ceiling.
After unsuccessfully trying his renewal all summer,
Thomas ended up accepting Arsenal's offer, which had been threatening since June, but which paid for his release on the last market day
. Atlético lost their starting pivot (for the second year in a row, after Rodrigo left for City for his clause a summer before)
when three league games had already been played
and where his unexpected departure was joined by
two consecutive draws without goals against Huesca and Villarreal,
some setbacks that had lowered the illusion of the debut with a thrashing against Granada (6-1).
Thomas
Arsenal
Midfield player
Ghana
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Statistics
However, his landing in the Premier has not been as easy as it might seem considering that his characteristics were perfectly adapted to the English game.
An impressive physical strength, good ball handling, ability to cover a lot of field and long shot.
While doubts were being opened, Simeone was able to recover from the goodbye of a Thomas that every year was more important in his schemes,
incorporating Torreira in the position
, who made the reverse path from Arsenal as a loan on the same day of payment of the clause
and Kondogbia
(he was able to close his arrival in November due to extra time in LaLiga),
but taking the great leap in quality by placing a sublime Koke in the pivot position
.
Years ago he had danced his position between the band and the middle in front of a destructive midfielder, but the captain has been one of the key pieces in the league title, destroying and starting a more combinative game from behind.
At the moment in which Atlético took the leadership of LaLiga with an iron fist,
Thomas took the starting position at Arsenal, but injuries hampered his first steps.
And the English team has lived a season with more dark than light.
Eighth in the league and eliminated from the Europa League by Villarreal,
the results are far from the level that is assumed by budget and squad.
Thomas finished the course with 2,308 minutes played, no goals and three assists.
About to turn 28 (Sunday), its first season of involution after so many years of constant growth has led to
a decline in its market value for
Transfermarkt
from 50 million to 40 million
.
There has not been the quality jump expected by his father, who after signing for Arsenal indicated that
"we expected a bigger team (than Atleti) to come for Thomas."
Statistically champion of the League, due to that residual participation in the beginning of the mattress course, Thomas' first year at Arsenal
has been very far from the last at Atlético
, where he was one of the pivots in the best shape of the competition and that he had left exhibitions such as his double game against Real Madrid.
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Thomas Partey's season at Arsenal.Besoccer
Arda, Griezmann, Falcao ...
That a footballer who has evolved with Simeone to become one of the stars of Atlético
has more difficulties abroad has become common in recent years
.
Arda Turan
set course for Barcelona as the player who gave the pause in the rojiblanco team and the great technical reference of the squad, but he ended up with hardly any weight in the Blaugrana game.
Griezmann
has scored goals for the Catalan club, but his best level as a rojiblanco has not come close, where he finished
third in the Ballon d'Or
in two seasons;
Falcao was never the same as at Atlético,
in his case with injuries as the great enemy when he had started strong at Monaco;
Filipe Luis wanted to come back from Chelsea after his first season in the Premier,
where he hadn't made a hole;
Diego Costa
at the end of his third season or recently
Rodrigo and Lucas have had difficulties to gain a place in the eleven of Manchester City and Bayern Munich
respectively.
Simeone has empowered many footballers and it is difficult to show that level that away from home.
Still with many years of racing ahead of him,
Thomas has had a difficult first year away from the Argentine coach.
It is clear that not all change is easy nor does it have to be positive.