Arsenal hero Paul Merson has claimed that Thomas Partey "could play for" Manchester United, Manchester City or Liverpool, leaving that he was surprised to see him complete a £45million move to the Emirates.
The Gunners cult hero was speaking to Sky Sports when asked to give his verdict on the Ghanaian's start to life under Mikel Arteta and heaped big praise on the midfielder.
Arsenal have lacked a dominating character at the heart of their midfield for nearly 20 years and Partey looks set to finally provide the club with that vital puzzle piece.
And Merson has described his move to north London, unchallenged by their most fierce Premier League rivals, as a steal.
“I can’t speak highly enough of him," Merson told Sky Sports.
“When they said Partey looks like he’s going to Arsenal for £45m, I thought ‘am I missing a trick here?’
“He could play for anyone, I look at Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool.
“I can’t speak highly enough of him, it’s an absolute steal for Arsenal.”
Speaking about his new midfield star, Arteta said: “Thomas is going to give us more versatility in our way of playing.
“He can play in two or three different positions when we are able to change formations or game plans against opponents.
"He will give us something that at the moment we don’t have in the team."
