Report: West Ham eye 23-year-old La Liga enforcer, player looking for exit
By Harvey Byrne
West Ham are one of three clubs eyeing a move for Atletico Madrid defensive midfielder Thomas Partey, according to a report.
African news outlet GhanaSoccer.net has claimed that the 23-year-old is a target of the Hammers, Middlesbrough and Watford.
It is believed that the young talent caught the eye of the English trio after an impressive showing in the recent African Cup of Nations with Ghana.
Partey started five of his country’s matches which saw the then lead Avram Grant side make the semi-finals of the tournament.
But, he has not enjoyed the same run in the team at club level and it is reported that he is now looking for an exit route in an attempt to find more first-team football.
The midfield enforcer has played just eight times for Diego Simeone’s team in all competitions this season.
He has played in 31 encounters for the club in total after breaking through the ranks in 2013 with his most notable appearance coming in 2016 as he came off the bench in extra time in Atletico Madrid’s penalty defeat against Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Partey is still contracted in Spain until 2020, but Slaven Bilic may look at him as a priority target as he looks to beef up his midfield options.
Football Insider verdict:
It is a wide belief that Mark Noble must lose his position in the club as an instant starter and be used more sparingly by the east London team. The signing of Partey would certainly allow the Hammers stalwart to make the transition as even though the Ghana international is looking for more first-team football, at his age he may be happy to be part of a rotation system. Partey is known for his high workrate and hunger for getting stuck in to the tackle. He would certainly fit into a midfield consisting of fellow enforcers Pedro Obiang and Cheikhou Kouayate and would help add more defensive solidity to the team.
In other West Ham transfer news, here is the possible Hammers line-up for the start of the 2017/18 campaign.
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