Five defensive players Arsenal could sign in the January transfer window

Thomas Partey

After relations between captain Granit Xhaka and the club’s fans reached boiling point at the end of October, it was quite clear that Arsenal needed to be on the hunt for a new defensive midfielder.

And with Lucas Torreira’s future at the club in doubt after a lacklustre second season in north London, Arsenal were linked with Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey, according to The Athletic.

The 26-year-old Atletico youth product has been the lynchpin in Diego Simeone’s side since his debut in 2015, having racked up over 100 La Liga appearances along the way.

Since the departure of Aaron Ramsey to Juventus, Arsenal’s midfield has been attracted criticism for being too lethargic and passive, but Partey would add a nasty edge to the Gunners.

The Ghanaian is tied down with Atletico until 2023 but it’s claimed he has a £43.5million buyout clause in his contract, which may be out of Arsenal’s reach after their summer of spending.