Arsenal pushed the boat out to sign Thomas Partey late in the summer transfer window in a bid to solve their midfield problems.
The Ghanaian was signed for a £45million fee from Atletico Madrid and expected to be a key part of Mikel Arteta’s revolution.
He has shown flashes of his quality but struggled for consistency during an injury-plagued season which has Arsenal languishing in mid table.
Speaking this week ahead of the north London derby, Mikel Arteta admitted his big-money signing has encountered some troubles in his debut Premier League campaign.
Asked if he thought Partey was getting close to his best, Arteta said: “I think so.
“Rhythm-wise he has struggled a little bit in the last few weeks because he hasn’t had enough training sessions or enough preparation because the league is so demanding.
“But you can see his quality, you can see the presence and the special qualities he provides to the team when he is on the pitch.
“I think it is just a fact of playing more games, getting some chemistry and understanding with his team-mates and getting as fit as he possibly can.”
Partey also gave an interview last week in which he opened up on the challenges he has faced since joining Arsenal.
His comments echoed those now made by Arteta with full agreement that injuries and a lack of regular training time has far from helped him settle into the side.
Quizzed on whether he has operated at 100 per cent in an Arsenal shirt, Partey said: "Yes, I had a few games.
"I think against [Manchester] United at their home and against Wolves [away] also I was able to show what I can do.
"Due to less games and less training I think I have to keep working, keep trying to get back to that level again.”
Speaking ahead of their Europa League clash with Olympiakos in midweek, Partey stated he was looking to put a “difficult” start behind him.
"It was a difficult moment to get used to how the team play," Partey added. "It’s part of the game.
"You never know when you are going to be injured. I do all of my work and I try to make sure I’m not before any game.
"I think the injuries are part of the adaptation. Now I feel good, I’m doing all the necessary work to be more fit and play more games.
"I still have more time, I’m doing my best to get my level of competition and I think everything will be fine and I will be able to show what I can do.”
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