Thomas Partey has been an enigmatic player for Arsenal since arriving from Atletico Madrid in 2020. The Ghanaian international promised so much but his near-pristine injury record was shattered in his first season and his transition was persistently interrupted.
The current campaign has seen appreciation for the Arsenal man increase and since the turn of the new year, Partey has been consistently one of the league’s best central midfielders with a Man of the Match performance against Manchester City to set the tone for 2022.
However, despite all of Partey’s positives, there remains a glaring absence from his arsenal of weapons at his disposal. His shooting.
My heart almost sinks every time the Emirates crowd screams “shoot” when Partey is in possession just outside the opposition penalty area. The likelihood for most players is not favourable, however, for Partey the chances seem even slimmer based on the evidence we’ve witnessed.
Whereas Arsenal transfer target Fabian Ruiz stepped up for Napoli in the final moments of their match against Lazio to strike a long-range effort from outside the box into the bottom corner.
This was the Spaniard’s sixth goal of the Serie A season in his 22nd match. Despite playing in a central midfield role, and even deeper in some games, Ruiz has a vast influence on the Gli Azzurri's play both offensively and defensively.
According to the Mirror, Arsenal representatives have met with the player's agents as the Spaniard will have just a year left on his deal come the end of the season.
With a reported price tag of £16 million quoted to be all that it would take to sign Ruiz, it seems a no-brainer for the Gunners.
Mikel Arteta has shifted his midfield into a more consolidated group. Changing from the defensive pivot of Partey and Granit Xhaka with a number ten positioned in front to the Ghanaian occupying a sole number six role with Xhaka and Martin Odegaard playing ahead of him.
Ruiz would slot comfortably into the role being occupied by Xhaka at present and with Roma expected to return for the Swiss midfielder in the summer, football.london understands, Arsenal may have found the perfect ready-made replacement.
Beyond the long-range improvement on Partey, The Arsenal Way has already compared Ruiz with Xhaka statistically and the player's passing and dribbling outrank the 29-year-old comfortably.
Arsenal supporters are hoping for a big summer investment in the wake of possible Champions League qualification.
With the expected level of interest in Ruiz, it may be a necessity that the Gunners do reach the top four to convince the 25-year-old that north London is the best destination for him.
Mikel Arteta is cultivating a young group of talented players and there is little doubt that Fabian Ruiz would fit straight into the fold.
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