Mikel Arteta has showered praise on midfielder Thomas Partey, suggesting his return to the side will be like a new signing in January.
Arsenal signed Partey in the summer transfer window for a fee of £45m, but the 27-year-old hasn’t featured much due to injuries.
The central defensive midfielder made only five appearances this season, including a man-of-the-match display in the 1-0 win against Manchester United back in November.
Partey has now returned to Arsenal training, and the Gunners boss is expecting him to deliver as Arsenal look to climb up the table.
Arteta has confirmed that Partey has not trained with the squad yet, but he could be in contention for the game against Newcastle United.
The Gunners boss has confessed that they have missed him. He has added that Partey is a player with ‘enormous’ talent, and that he brings something to the team.
Arteta feels that Partey can transform the side in the second half of the campaign.
“We are in January and I think he’s played two and a half games. That’s all and he was our main signing. So yeah. We’ve been missing him. He brings something different to the team, he’s a player with an enormous talent,” said Arteta, as quoted by Football London.
“But as well someone that can transform the team the way we want. It’s great if we can have him, keep him healthy and I think will contribute in a really positive way.”
A few weeks ago, Arsenal were fighting for survival, but the situation looks better now with three wins in a row.
The likes of Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny have done well in recent games, but Partey will add extra quality in the middle of the park.
Arsenal should still be looking to sign a creative attacking midfielder, with Mesut Ozil’s future remaining in the dark.
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