[Fabrizio Romano] Thomas Partey to Arsenal is still in progress, Partey is discussing his contract renewal with Athletico, and Arsenal are waiting for his decision : Gunners

Serious question, since I’m admittedly not the strongest when it comes to football tactics, but with Xhaka and Ceballos adapting quite well as deeper lying midfielders under Arteta, is someone like Partey truly the biggest need for Arsenal? I’ve heard some mention him as capable of being a box to box player, but most accounts seem to peg him as a much better player defensively than offensively.

From what I see, it seems like Arsenal are much more in need of an attacking minded midfielder who can track back. This can come in many forms, like a Ramsey type who can make booming runs into the box and presents a legitimate scoring threat, a Santi type dribbler who can get past defenders and progress the ball upfield, or an Ozil-type incisive passer who is more willing to defend. While Partey is undoubtedly a great player who would really help solidify the defensive spine, I think the lack of creativity from midfield to create consistent chances has really shone through and risks squandering some great attackers, while Arteta’s tactics seems to have instilled defensive discipline to a degree already.

With limited funds, I feel like an attacking minded midfielder with an engine to run back, and a cool, consistent CB (not an aggressive Upamacano type) would be the best allocation of funds.