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Name: Thomas Partey

Club: Atletico Madrid

Date of Birth: 13 June 1993

Position: Defensive midfielder

THOMAS PARTEY – HIS CAREER SO FAR

As is quite often the case, Diego Simeone finds good defensive players and then turns them into world-class superstars. Pretty much the same thing can be said about Thomas Partey, Atletico Madrid’s academy graduate that had to work hard to get where he is right now. For the 27-year-old defensive midfielder, it all started back home in Ghana where he played for the local Odometah FC in their youth ranks.

But already by 2011, a big club came calling as the youngster was showing a lot of promise. Atletico Madrid signed him up and then, a year after that, he joined their academy as a very young lad. Still, despite the talent he clearly possessed, it took quite some time to become as established as he is right now. From 2013 and all the way to 2015, he was officially part of their B side but would only manage to tally 33 appearances for them, scoring four goals in the process as well.

This is mostly because he was sent out on two different loans in that same time period. First, in 2013, to Mallorca and then, in 2014, to Almeria. Still, both stints ended up being quite productive for Partey, giving him both adequate game time and a stage to fully develop and break out of his shell. At the former club, he would register 38 appearances with five goals and two assists, while at the latter, 32 appearances with two goals on the side.

Needless to say, upon his eventual return to Atletico Madrid, he was a much more developed player, ready to take on the next challenge in his career. The first team bow arrived in November 2015 when he came on as a substitute in a 1-0 win against Espanyol. This was indeed a start of a special journey that is still on an upward spiral. The 27-year-old penned a new contract with Rojiblancos on 14 February 2017, tying him down at the club until at least 2022, but that was subsequently extended to 2023 in 2018.

And now, he has already played in 185 games for Atletico Madrid, even scoring 16 goals and providing 12 assists despite that being far from his role on the pitch. But with his rapidly increasing popularity and status, other clubs are bound to be interested and this is especially true for some Premier League titans.

Partey is in his prime and could very well be making a big switch rather soon.

TRANSFER LATEST

According to the latest transfer news, Arsenal are quite interested in securing the 27-year-old’s signature in the ongoing summer transfer window. Of course, this was all before their official statement outlining some financial difficulties at the club. Needless to say, if the Gunners really wanted to go after Partey, they would have to splash the cash.

As of right now, no other Arsenal transfer news or transfer rumours are saying they won’t go for the midfielder but it could indeed be a slightly more complicated deal to get over the line. Atletico Madrid don’t exactly want to part with a player of his calibre but with the right offer and some persuasion, everything is possible.

PLAYER PROFILE

Partey is a defensive midfielder by trade and as such, he often acts both as a facilitator and a destroyer. Some of his best qualities are certainly his ball-retention skills and the ability to snuff out danger even before it happens. He’s usually one of the deeper-positioned players in the Atletico Madrid squad but also has enough technical quality to start transitions and even more importantly, play out of the opposition’s press.

At 27 years of age, he is now in his prime and playing some of the best football of his career. Of course, just being part of Simeone’s system, he has exceptional work-rate but can even offer support going forward when needed. It is very difficult to pinpoint the exact area of his operation because he is mostly all over the pitch, which is also one of his best qualities.

He can be insecure on the ball at times but that’s a minor blip on an otherwise stellar resume and something that can certainly be ironed out in the immediate future.

As per Casa Blanca, Glasgow Rangers have reached a €20m (£17.8m) agreement with Lille for Alfredo Morelos.

Morelos has been continually linked with Les Dogues, with him even said to have agreed personal terms with the Ligue 1 side.

Now, it seems he may finally be on his way to France, with this report saying the Ibrox outfit and Lille have agreed a fee of €20m (£17.8m).

Finally, there may be some positive news for the Gers. Whilst the Colombia international has been a fantastic player for the club, scoring 79 goals in 142 matches, he is clearly becoming a distraction – this is a situation that needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

He has not played a minute in either of the last two matches, and so far it has not appeared to have done anything to damage the 54-time Scottish champions’ quest for a first title since 2011 – they remain on top of the table, whilst they prevailed in both of those matches 2-0.

€20m (£17.8m) is a considerable amount of money for a player who cost just £1.08m in 2017. It seems the Gers and Morelos’ journey together is over – it is now time for the two to part ways as swiftly and amicably as possible.

Let us know what you think below!

After opening their Premier League campaign with a hugely disappointing home defeat to Newcastle last weekend, West Ham make the short trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal on Saturday evening.

David Moyes’ side slipped to a 2-0 reverse against the Magpies, before getting back to winning ways with a comfortable 3-0 triumph over Charlton in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

The Hammers will undoubtedly go back to a stronger line-up for the game against Arsenal, having made a few changes in mid-week.

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

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Some players’ performances against Charlton may just have given Moyes some food for thought, and with that in mind, below is a look at how West Ham could take to the field against the Gunners on Saturday.

Having not featured against the Addicks on Tuesday, Lukasz Fabianski will surely return to the starting line-up and reclaim the number one goalkeeping spot against his former club.

In front of him, Ryan Fredericks and Angelo Ogbonna could come back in to make a more familiar defence, whilst Moyes may make the choice to drop Aaron Cresswell after a disappointing display that saw Hammers fans criticise him post-match – Arthur Masuaku could therefore keep his place.

After missing the game against Charlton, Moyes confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that captain Mark Noble has undergone an injection in his toe and is likely to be touch and go for the clash against Arsenal.

If Noble doesn’t make it, then Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice could be joined in a four-man midfield by Jarrod Bowen and Andriy Yarmolenko, with the latter picking up an assist in the win over Charlton – that could see Pablo Fornals drop to the bench.

And in attack, Sebastien Haller’s mid-week brace may have earned him a starting spot at the Emirates, with Michail Antonio alongside him in a two-man strikeforce.

Predicted XI: Fabianski; Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Masuaku; Soucek, Rice, Yarmolenko, Bowen; Antonio, Haller.

Celtic could soon have the solution to their left-back problems, they’ll just have to go back in for one of their reported targets…

What’s the word?

Last month, The Athletic claimed that the Scottish champions were one of several teams courting Spurs starlet Ryan Sessegnon over a potential loan switch this summer.

Although, at the time, it was thought that Jose Mourinho would use him this season.

However, it appears that things have changed with the north Londoners set to sign left-back Sergio Reguilon from Real Madrid this week, meaning the 20-year-old could now depart temporarily, as per the Daily Mail.

Reignite the fire

It’s now time for Neil Lennon to do exactly that as he’s evidently in the market for a new left-sided option following the controversial exit of Boli Bolingoli.

The Bhoys have been linked to Charlton youngster Alfie Doughty but have had two bids already knocked back for him this summer, so perhaps they should take a look at Sessegnon instead.

We’re yet to see the true potential of the young prospect, who can also play as a winger, and the SPFL could prove to be the perfect breeding ground after the success of Virgil Van Dijk and Kieran Tierney in the Premier League.

Sessegnon has drawn comparisons to Gareth Bale as well as Raheem Sterling in the past and although we’re yet to see it fully, we’ve spotted glimpses just like when he bagged against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last term.

The versatile £22.5m-rated youngster was labelled a “big, big talent” by ex-Fulham teammate Stefan Johansen, who also tipped him to become “one of the world’s best” in his position.

It certainly could prove to be a win-win for both the Hoops and Spurs if they can come to an agreement. Greg Taylor and Moi Elyounoussi are good, but Sessegnon could bring shades of Patrick Roberts back to Celtic Park.

Nick Hammond must push for this move.

AND in other news, Celtic set to bid six-figures for EFL “diamond”…

Aston Villa continue to be linked to one name and according to reports over the weekend, they have been told how much it’ll cost to clinch him.

Alan Nixon in The Sun on Sunday (print edition, page 62) claims that Celtic could put their star striker Odsonne Edouard on the chopping block before the October 5th deadline as uncertainty continues over his future at Parkhead.

The 22-year-old seems unwilling to commit his future to the Scottish champions, meaning Neil Lennon could cash in before the transfer window closes next week.

However, any potential buyer will have to fork out £30m for his services, which would be another club-record fee for the Midlands outfit after splashing an initial £28m on Ollie Watkins from Brentford.

Brighton and Crystal Palace are also interested in the emphatic goalscorer, who was named on the bench for the Hoops’ 3-0 win over Hibs on Sunday afternoon.

Edouard bagged a whopping 27 goals in 45 appearances last season, and even provided 19 assists per Transfermarkt as Celtic clinched their ninth title in a row but the Scottish giants weren’t able to advance in the Champions League qualifying stages.

The French powerhouse has received plenty of plaudits since his meteoric rise as Moussa Dembele’s successor.

Brendan Rodgers described Edouard as an “incredible” player with a “great footballing brain and technique” whilst current boss Neil Lennon claims his striker is an “outstanding footballer, talismanic almost.”

He’s even been lauded as a “complete all-round striker” so you can only imagine the damage Smith’s side could do with both Watkins and Edouard in attack.

Every decent Premier Leauge outfit has two solid options in attack, think Arsenal with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette or Man City with Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus.

This would be one massive coup for Aston Villa.

AND in other news, £35m transfer target could be Dean Smith’s worst signing yet…

It was one long transfer window for Celtic boss Neil Lennon and it went right down to the wire with the defending Scottish champions concluding their business with a loan swoop for AC Milan defender Diego Laxalt on deadline day.

He became the sixth capture of the summer, joining the likes of Vasilas Barkas, David Turnbull, Shane Duffy and Alban Ajeti in the famous green and white hoops.

These moves will certainly aid the quest to clinch a historic tenth title in a row and they’ll need to get to work straight away as they sit behind arch-rivals Rangers in the SPFL standings, though that could change when the two teams go head-to-head after the international break.

And whilst Lennon’s business stops here, the Bhoys’ recruitment and scouting network will still be looking at players ahead of the January transfer window, which is merely a few months away.

One name stands out too.

According to Football Insider last month, the Parkhead outfit had begun working on a move to sign Queens Park Rangers sensation Bright Osayi-Samuel, who is out of contract in the summer.

That means Celtic can swoop in and tie him down to a pre-contract agreement in the winter transfer window, thus not commanding a fee from Peter Lawwell and Nick Hammond.

The 22-year-old looked set to join Club Brugge for £5m earlier in the summer before the move collapsed and now it’s time for the patient Hoops to make their move.

Osayi-Samuel was an unsung hero next to Eberechi Eze last season, who seemingly took all of the plaudits, as he scored five goals and provided eight assists whilst averaging a whopping 2.9 dribbles and 1.2 shots per game, via WhoScored.

That form has continued into this campaign with the Nigerian-born winger scoring once in the Rs opening four matches, also averaging four dribbles per game.

It’s no wonder he’s received so many glowing endorsements in recent times. Steve McClaren deemed him as a “real star of the future” whilst current boss Mark Warburton hailed his man for being a “real handful” who has “sheer pace that terrifies defenders”.

Osayi-Samuel may be one for next season but that shouldn’t stop the Scottish giants going all out to secure him at the next opportunity.

AND in other news, One Lennon fave put in a lightweight display as Celtic remain unbeaten…

Leeds United may have just beaten Aston Villa 3-0, but one problem looks likely to persist at Elland Road.

Indeed, the Whites may have managed to win without Kalvin Phillips in their starting XI, but their quest to find a holding midfield replacement within their squad goes on.

Pascal Struijk was subbed off after just 20 minutes of playing in the defensive midfield role after picking up an early yellow card, and while Phillips’ absence wasn’t felt against the Villans, there will come a time where they miss him.

Unfortunately, this could have been avoided if they hadn’t have loaned out Alfie McCalmont.

McCalmont plays in the exact same role as Phillips, and he’s reportedly a player that Bielsa had earmarked to replace him if the Yorkshire Pirlo had departed the club in the summer of 2019.

It isn’t just Bielsa who’s a fan either, Noel Whelan waxed lyrical about the Northern Irishman earlier this year.

“McCalmont I have seen a few times now and he is very capable,” he told Football Insider.

“He was tipped to replace Kalvin or be that second string to Kalvin throughout the season.

“A very good player, great on the ball and a good football mind.

“He is one that is learning his trade from watching Kalvin and being in and around that first-team setup.”

If McCalmont was seen as Phillips’ successor by the higher-ups at Leeds, why was he allowed to go on loan without another defensive midfielder coming in?

Leeds have now been left in a difficult predicament with Phillips set to miss six weeks of action, and with no recognised defensive midfielder in the squad, they’re scrambling for someone to replace him.

Struijk proved within 20 minutes on Friday that he isn’t up to the task just yet, and that only adds more fuel to the argument that McCalmont shouldn’t have been loaned out.

Leeds have dropped the ball on this one.

And in other news, Leeds should have held off on selling this ace.

Glasgow Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson has built an impressive reputation as one of the best in the business and is highly respected for his negotiating skills.

He is widely credited with bringing Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to St Mary’s – and look at where they have ended up, as the Saints moved to the top of the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history. The 36-year-old was the key figure in the club’s recruitment strategy and was responsible for signing Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg from Bayern Munich, Nathan Redmond, Jan Bednarek and Yan Valery.

Now it seems Wilson has outdone himself once again, only this time with the Light Blues. Rangers decided to send Kai Kennedy out on loan this season to gain some more first team experience.

The 18-year-old is highly rated at Ibrox, with Gerrard describing him as a “fabulous little player.” However, he has found his chances hard to come by, and joined Inverness Caledonian Thistle on loan until January after a disagreement with Gerrard over his playing time, where he has already made an immediate impact.

Wilson masterclass

After making his debut for Inverness against Ayr United in the Scottish Championship, Kennedy marked his first start for the Caley Thistles with an assist in the 3-1 win over Arbroath at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, before starting the next game against Heart of Midlothian on Saturday afternoon.

It looks like the teenager is quickly making up for lost time, as he has already made three appearances this season so far. The uncapped Scottish U21 international has been earmarked as one to watch for the future, as Rangers academy boss Craig Mulholland raved about his progress last term, saying he was “excited” to see him on the fringes of the senior squad.

Earlier this year he came off the bench to score the matchwinner as Scotland U19s cruised to a comprehensive 1-0 win over their Czech counterparts.

When Kennedy returns to Rangers, Jordan Jones may have already left the club, if recent reports are to be believed, which will create a space in the squad for another option out wide. The teen dynamo, who has predominantly played as a left winger, can also double up as a forward if required.

Regardless of what position he plays in, it’s clear that the Gers have an obvious talent at their disposal. He just needs to be given the time to shine. However, if for whatever reason Kennedy can’t work out his differences with Gerrard, Wilson should still be able to sell him for a decent profit.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers will regret not signing Brentford striker Ivan Toney from Peterborough…

Ralph Hasenhuttl is on the brink of unearthing Southampton’s strongest senior squad in a long time. His dedication to seeing the club re-establish themselves in the Premier League has delivered some exceptional results for the Saints. One of note being their surprise win over league leaders Everton at St Mary’s last weekend.

The Austrian’s eye for talent in both the existing team and during the summer transfer window is already paying off. Danny Ings is running the show with his clinical goalscoring abilities, whilst loan signing and former south coast man Theo Walcott also looks to make a big difference.

However, there are several players currently on loan from the club. Mohamed Elyounoussi is making waves over at Celtic Park and could be looking at a spot in the starting lineup once he returns. But on the other end of the scale, outcast defender Wesley Hoedt may not receive the same warm welcome despite his strong stats at Lazio.

Does Hoedt have a future at Southampton?

It’s more than fair to say that the Dutchman and the Saints have a very turbulent relationship. Hoedt admitted that he regrets making the initial move from Lazio to Southampton back in 2017. Speaking to Sport Magazine in September 2019, the centre-back stated that he “decided to prove my worth elsewhere” after Hasenhuttl reportedly didn’t give him the second chance he was promised (via Daily Mail).

His return to Italy is now his third consecutive loan move away from the Premier League and he has slipped way down in terms of fan opinions. Any return to full-time football at Southampton will result in a sour reception from the Saints supporters, but he may be able to win them over.

In Lazio’s clash against Club Brugge on Wednesday, Hoedt stood out in the heart of the defence despite a 1-1 draw. The 26-year-old made an impressive 11 clearances and three tackles, including a contribution of five successful long balls out of his attempted nine (via Sofascore).

This shows that Hoedt cannot be written off by the Saints just yet and should the £60,000 per-week man finally be given another chance by Hasenhuttl, he could put pressure on Jannik Vestergaard, who has been questionable across the backline recently. There has also been speculation over whether he could be leaving the club. Should any talks come to fruition, it could leave the door open for a controversial return for Hoedt next season.

In other news, Southampton interest in Toby Savin could spell the end of Angus Gunn…

Aston Villa are enjoying a resurgence under Dean Smith having narrowly avoided relegation from the Premier League last season.

It’s been their activity in the summer transfer window that has arguably spearheaded their change in fortunes with the likes of Ollie Watkins, Ross Barkley and Matty Cash all making an instant impact at Villa Park.

Therefore, it’s time for manager Dean Smith to move on from some of the players that he’s no longer calling upon and a good place to start would be among the higher-earners, namely Ahmed Elmohamady.

The versatile defender is sitting on a pay packet of around £45k-per-week in the Midlands yet he’s only played 33 minutes in the Premier League all season, so clearly he’s out-of-favour under the Villa boss.

Originally signed by Steve Bruce for just £1m in July 2017, the Egypt international has featured 118 times for the club and played an integral role on their way to promotion in 2018, starting 32 of 38 league matches where he provided seven assists.

However, that is all in the past and now at the age of 33, he has Cash ahead of him in the pecking order. The former Nottingham Forest man is currently out injured, so Frederic Guilbert may soon get the nod.

The veteran right-back has never averaged more than 1.1 tackles, 1.1 crosses or 0.4 dribbles per game for Villa, via WhoScored, meaning he really is starting to waste Nassef Sawiris’ money.

Elmohamady has cost a little over £8m when you combine his transfer fee and wages over the course of his career in B6.

With his contract up in the summer, it would be wise to try and offload him during the January transfer window – any sort of return would be most welcome, but if there are no suitors, then he should absolutely be free to leave come the end of the season.

AND in other news, Sherwood flop’s value has skyrocketed since underwhelming Villa spell…