Arsenal have been linked with Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey for the entire summer transfer window, but on transfer deadline day, the move looks closer than ever.
football.london understands that the Gunners have moved a step closer to signing Partey from the La Liga giants with a late deadline day push. The midfielder would join Willian, Gabriel, Pablo Mari, Cedric and Rúnar Alex Rúnarsson as new Arsenal signings for the 2020/21 campaign.
The 27-year-old made 35 appearances in La Liga for Atletico Madrid last season, scoring three times, also helping Diego Simeone's side reach the quarter-final of the Champions League, beating Liverpool in the round of 16.
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To give Arsenal fans an idea of what to expect from Partey, if he does sign for the club on deadline day, we assessed his attributes on FIFA 21. This is what they told us.
Thomas Partey's FIFA 21 rating assessed
Overall rating: 84/100
Potential rating: 85/100
Position: CM
Age: 27
Best FIFA 21 attributes: Stamina (92), short passing (86), shot power (86), composure (86), reactions (85), long shots (85), standing tackle (85), long passing (84), dribbling (84), interceptions (84), vision (84), aggression (84).
Partey would be Arsenal's third-most talented player if he joined on deadline day, according to FIFA 21, with only Bernd Leno (85) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (87) rated higher.
The midfielder would also become the second-best passer at the club according to FIFA 21, with only Mesut Ozil (88) having a better short passing attribute than Partey (86). And it's the same with long passing too, with only Granit Xhaka (85) better than Partey (84).
The 27-year-old also rates very impressively against the Arsenal squad in the rest of his technical, defensive and physical attributes too, showcasing the all-round nature of Partey's game and what he could bring to Mikel Arteta's side.
At 27, FIFA 21 suggests that Partey is in his prime and there's not much scope for his ability to dramatically improve, but he still ranks high in terms of overall ability. Overall, the game suggests that Partey would be a quality signing for Arsenal on deadline day, with the midfielder a big improvement on their current midfield options.
FIFA 21 has an official UK and worldwide release date of October 9, but some editions will allow you to play FIFA 21 slightly earlier than this.
If you pre-order the FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition or Champions Edition on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC you’ll be able to play from October 6, with the Standard Edition allowing fans to play from the game's official UK and worldwide release date of October 9.
