Thomas Partey

**Thomas Teye Partey** (dem born am on 13 June 1993) be Ghanaian professional footballer wey dey play as defensive midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal den de Ghana national team.

Partey start ein professional career at Spanish club Atlético Madrid insyd 2013, wey he go loan to Mallorca den Almería, den return to Atlético insyd 2015, wey he win de UEFA Europa League den UEFA Super Cup insyd 2018, as well as he appear insyd de 2016 UEFA Champions League final. Insyd 2020, he cam join Arsenal insyd transfer worth £45 million (€50 million), wey he cam turn de most expensive Ghanaian player of all time.

Partey be Ghanaian international wey rep ein nation at three Africa Cup of Nations (2017, 2019, den 2021) den de 2022 FIFA World Cup. Dem name am into de CAF Team of the Year insyd 2018, wey he win Ghana Player of de Year insyd 2018 den 2019.

## Club career

Dem born am insyd Krobo Odumase, Partey be product of local club Odometah ein youth ranks. He sign plus Atlético Madrid insyd 2012, after short spell plus Leganés, wey dem subsequently move am to de reserves year later. On 10 March 2013, dem call Partey to de main squad for de match against Real Sociedad. However, he remain unuse insyd de eventual 0–1 home defeat.

#### Mallorca den Almería
On 12 July, dem loan Partey go Mallorca, freshly relegate to de second level. On 18 August, he make ein professional debut, insyd a 0–4 away defeat against Sabadell. Partey score ein first professional goal on 15 September, netting ein side second of a 2–2 draw at Hércules.

On 27 July 2014, Partey join La Liga side Almería on a loan. He make ein debut insyd de competition on 23 August, wey start in a 1–1 home draw against Espanyol. Partey score ein first goals insyd de main category of Spanish football on 11 April 2015, netting a brace insyd a 3–0 home win against Granada.

#### Return to Atlético Madrid
Partey make ein first team debut for Atlético Madrid on 28 November 2015, wey he come replace Luciano Vietto insyd a 1–0 home win against Espanyol. On 2 January of de following year, he score ein first league goal for de club, netting de game only strike insyd a home success over Levante. On 28 May, he play insyd de UEFA Champions League Final against Real Madrid, wey replace Koke insyd de 116th minute as ein side lost on penalties.

Partey sign contract extension plus Atlético Madrid through 2022 on 14 February 2017. On 31 October, he score ein first European goal plus a long-range strike to equalise at home to Qarabağ insyd a 1–1 draw insyd de Champions League group game; he become de first African to score insyd de competition for Atlético. Following ein impressive performances for the club, dem reward am with another contract on 1 March 2018, dis tym until 2023. On 16 May, he play insyd de 2018 UEFA Europa League Final, as ein side won 3–0 against Marseille.

On 1 September 2019, Partey come on as a late substitute den net de match ein winner insyd de last minute for de game, as Atlético come back from 2–0 down to come win de game by 3–2 against Eibar. He mark ein 100th La Liga appearance for *Los Rojiblancos* plus man-of-de-match performance insyd a 0–0 draw against Real Madrid insyd de Madrid derby four weeks later. Despite leaving Atlético at de beginning or de 2020–21 season, Partey make enough appearances for de start of de season to become eligible for a winner ein medal as Atlético win La Liga that year.

### Arsenal
On 5 October 2020, Premier League club Arsenal announce de signing of Partey on a long-term contract, after activating ein £45 million (€50 million) release clause plus Atlético Madrid. Dem give am de number 18 shirt, wey dem take from  Nacho Monreal wey lef the club de previous season. Upon signing, Partey state ein desire to help Arsenal "back where [they] belong", describing am as ein decision to move being based on "[wanting] to experience new challenges", wey he san credit de transfer to manager Mikel Arteta den technical director Edu.

On 17 October 2020, Partey make ein debut for Arsenal as a substitute for Granit Xhaka insyd 0–1 away defeat insyd de league against Manchester City. Five days later, he start ein first match for Arsenal insyd de 2–1 away win over Rapid Wien insyd de UEFA Europa League. Midway through a match against Aston Villa on 8 November, he suffer a thigh injury wey see am miss de rest of de month ein games. He return on 6 December insyd de North London derby, buh san suffer another injury at half-time as Arsenal lose 2–0 to Tottenham Hotspur. He no play again until a month later, which he come off de bench insyd a 0–0 draw against Crystal Palace. On 22 October 2021, Partey score ein first goal for Arsenal in a 3–1 win against Aston Villa. Insyd February 2022, dem name Partey as Arsenal player of de month. Insyd de 2022–23 season, he score three goals insyd 33 appearances, including ein club Goal for de Season insyd a 3–1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Insyd November 2023, he sustain a hamstring injury wey keep him sideline for de most for de 2023–24 season.

## International career
Insyd May 2016, dem call Partey for de first time to de Ghana national team by manager Avram Grant, ahead of a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Mauritius. He come make ein debut on 5 June, wey he come replace Frank Acheampong for de final 11 minutes of a 2–0 away win wey book de Black Stars demma position insyd de finals. On 5 September 2017, Partey score ein first international hattrick insyd a 5–1 win against Congo insyd 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Kwesi Appiah select Partey for de ein 23-man squad for de 2019 Africa Cup of Nations insyd Egypt. Insyd ein last group game, he score insyd a 2–0 win over Guinea-Bissau for de Suez Stadium as de Black Stars top group. He net insyd de penalty shootout for de end of de last-16 game against Tunisia on 8 July, though ein team was eliminate.

Partey win Ghana Player of de Year insyd 2018 den 2019. Ahead of de 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, as well as for de 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, dem name Partey as Ghana ein vice-captain.

Insyd November 2022, dem call Partey to de 26-man Ghana squad wey compete insyd Qatar for de 2022 FIFA World Cup.

## Media
Partey come involve insyd de Amazon Original sports docuseries *All or Nothing: Arsenal*, wey dey document de club by spending tym plus de coaching staff den players behind de scenes both on den off de field throughout demma 2021–22 season.

## Personal life
Insyd March 2022, secof ein Moroccan girlfriend, Sara Bella, wey make Partey convert to Islam. Insyd June, dem report say dat he go change ein first name to Yakubu as part of ein religious conversion, wey maintain Thomas Partey both legally den professionally; he talk later say he change ein name back to Thomas.

Insyd June 2022, dem make Partey chief for de Manya Krobo people of de Eastern Region of Ghana by demma paramount chief, Nene Sakite II, as a reward for captaining de team to 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification for de expense of neighbours Nigeria.

## Career statistics

### Club

### International

:*Ghana score listed first, score column indicates score after each Partey goal.*

## Honours
**Atlético Madrid**

* La Liga: 2020–21
* UEFA Europa League: 2017–18
* UEFA Super Cup: 2018
* UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2015–16

**Arsenal**

* FA Community Shield: 2023

**Individual**

* CAF Team of de Year: 2018, 2023
* SWAG Sports Personality of de Year: 2018
* Ghana Player of de Year: 2017, 2018
* Ghana Football Awards Foreign-based Player of de Year: 2017–18, 2018–19
* Ghana Football Awards Footballer of de Year: 2017–18, 2018–19

## References


## External links

* Profile at de Arsenal F.C. website
* Thomas Partey at Premier League
* Thomas Partey – UEFA competition record (archive) 
* Thomas Partey at BDFutbol 
* Thomas Partey at Futbolme (insyd Spanish)
* De Thomas Partey Foundation.