Mikel Arteta gets clear Declan Rice message for best Arsenal role amid Thomas Partey question
Arsenal news: Declan Rice and Thomas Partey could be fighting for one spot in Mikel Arteta's team for the 2023/24 season
Mikel Arteta has been sent another clear reminder of how important keeping Thomas Partey at the club will be despite the signing of Declan Rice. The Gunners paid £105million to sign Rice from West Ham and looked set to push him straight into the starting XI in place of Partey who had been linked with an exit from Emirates Stadium.
After selling Granit Xhaka to Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal were also open to letting Partey leave at the right price with Juventus showing an interest. football.london understands a Saudi Arabian club had also made a personal terms offer to the Ghana international.
However, Arteta himself revealed that he had no intention of selling Partey ahead of the 2023/24 season. "Without a question of a doubt," Arteta replied when asked if he was part of his plans this season. "Thomas is a super important player for us and for me. I want him to be part of the team. That’s for sure.
"Every time I spoke to him and had a conversation with him he’s ready to stay with us. For me, there’s nothing there at all." Partey's ability to shield the defence was crucial for the Gunners last season despite his minor dip in form towards the end of the campaign.
Following Rice's transfer and Arteta confirming Partey will stay, Opta have taken a deep dive into the duo's respective stats from the 2022/23 campaign. Simplified by bettingexpert, it shows where Partey and Rice's strengths and weaknesses lie while also indicating how the pair can compliment each other in the same starting XI.
After both playing as defensive midfielders there is a noticeable difference in the data gathered in the areas teams will want
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