Ghana’s national team head coach, CK Akonnor, has advised midfielder Thomas Partey to snub Arsenal in favor of remaining at Atletico Madrid.
Partey, 27, has been linked with a move to the Premier League all summer, with Arsenal reportedly submitted a bid for his services which was rejected.
Akonnor, himself a former captain of German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, reckons joining Arsenal could deny of regular Champions League football as the Gunners are never guaranteed to play in Europe’s elite competition every season.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t want him to move to Arsenal because with Atletico, he will always play Champions League football. His position is guaranteed and he will always play,” Akonnor said in an interview with Starr FM.
“With Arsenal, I’m not too sure,” Akonnor said before remarking, “Arsenal fans will kill me [for saying he should not join the gunners].”
“I hope that, and I’m sure money issues will come in, but I hope that whatever he asks for, Atletico will be able to pay,” he concluded.
Partey has become a mainstay in Diego Simeone’s team and is currently contracted to the Wanda Metropolitano side until 2023.
Since breaking into the Atletico first team in 2015, Partey has won the Europa League in 2018 and the Super Cup same year.
