Why Manchester United should move for this Arsenal target

Bengaluru, May 18: Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey has become one of the most discussed names in recent weeks as it is claimed that the Ghana international is the number one priority of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for the summer.

However, the reported €50m release clause of the 26-year-old could prove to be too much for the Gunners as they are heavily cash-strapped at the moment. It has also been claimed that Diego Simeone's side is aware that they are set to lose their prized asset this summer and they have already made an attempt to use the midfielder in a swap deal with Liverpool as they look to bring in Alex Oxlade Chamberlain.

It would be a surprise though if Jurgen Klopp says yes to this swap deal considering how big a fan he is of Chamberlain. And, also Partey moving to Liverpool does not make much of a sense as he is unlikely to become a starter at Anfield.

In this scenario, Manchester United should take this opportunity and solve their midfield issues with the signing of the midfield dynamo. The 26-year-old would be a brilliant addition to the Red Devils' otherwise average midfield and here are the reasons why:

Defensive awareness

Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone specializes in defending and sometimes the Argentine gaffer has been criticized for his too much pragmatic approach and less of ambition. However, in order to suit his system, all the players must be solid defensively and Partey is key to his system which speaks volumes about his game.

He is exactly what the Red Devils miss in the middle of the park. The Ghanaian is an excellent ball-winner which is evident from his figure of 2.49 successful tackles made per 90 minutes. Besides that, the 26-year-old also has a very high ball interception ratio with 5.03 per game which shows that he is more of a tactical defensive midfielder than a physical one.

Such a reading of the game will add a great deal of value in the United midfield. He has also made 8.17 recoveries per game this season which shows how hard he works for the team.

Passing ability

In the 4-4-2 system Atletico Madrid play in, he is often the deepest midfielder but it would be wrong to presume that Partey is only about his defensive abilities. The 26-year-old is a brilliant passer as well and is more of a complete central midfielder. He mostly plays simple short passes for the majority of the game as that is the role he is assigned to but he can be quite a progressive passer when needed.

He has averaged a passing accuracy of 83.5% this season which is quite good considering Atletico do not play a possession-based game and rather plays a high-octane pressing game. He has also averaged 0.9 key passes and 5 long balls per game which is really impressive in his role. Partey has a massive number of chances created for a defensive midfielder in the final third in the pitch of up to 6.3 per game and his ball-carrying ability is also top-class.

What he would add to Manchester United

As we can see, Partey is truly an all-action midfielder but his attacking prowess is often underrated. He would be a big upgrade on any Manchester United central midfielder barring Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes. However, the duo is used in a much different role and Pogba is anyway set to leave the club.

Regardless of Pogba's stay at the club, Partey would be a sensational piece of addition to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side transforming them to the next level. He also has a release clause which is not too high for his ability and this should be a good value for money deal for the Red Devils. They should do everything in their powers to use Arsenal's lacking financial stability in their favour.