Arsenal’s outstanding transfer candidate after major Partey injury blow is obvious

Robin Bairner

• 10 Nov 2023 08:20 GMT
• 8 min read

Thomas Partey’s injury setback has the potential to change Arsenal’s January transfer window priorities.

FootballTransfers has exclusively revealed that Mikel Arteta is still looking to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic as his priority in the No.9 role, but with Partey facing a long period on the sidelines, it could force the Arsenal manager to find additional cover in midfield.

The Mirror has revealed that Partey has undergone specialist treatment on a thigh injury and will be missing at least until the end of 2023 – and probably into next year, too. The former Atletico Madrid midfielder is unlikely to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.

With the player unsettled at Arsenal, having already been linked with Juventus, the Gunners may see it as the prudent thing to do to draft in his replacement before the summer, when the 30-year-old could finally depart. Arteta had been against allowing him to leave midway through the season.

He does, however, have one eye on Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni for next summer, though it is accepted this is a highly ambitious transfer target.

Doucoure the obvious Partey replacement

For January, there is one outstanding candidate to replace Partey at Arsenal, and that is Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure.

According to data analytics experts SciSports, Doucoure plays in a similar style to Partey and has strengths within his game that would allow him to act as an effective replacement for the Ghanaian.

At 23, the former Lens star is already of a similar standard to Partey and has the ability to surpass him in terms of the quality he can bring to Arsenal.

Other options of Partey’s ilk are unattainable at this juncture, with the likes of Rodri, Ryan Gravenberch and Bruno Guimaraes falling into this category.

Similarly, there are no players of a comparable current skill level available.

If Arsenal wish to look to the future, Southampton’s Carlos Alcaraz or Lyon’s Johann Lepenant could come into the equation as players they should look to recruit. At 20 and 21 respectively, both fall into the age bracket of players the Gunners like to sign, but Premier League experience is something that Arteta puts a high value on, and Alcaraz has only 13 games and Lepenant none.

Doucoure, then, is an obvious target for Arsenal in the transfer period ahead.

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