Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he is delighted to have Thomas Partey in his ranks after the Ghanaian signed a long term deal on transfer deadline day.
The Ghana deputy captain, who has been handed the Number 18 shirt at Arsenal, made the move from Atletico Madrid to North London after the Gunners activated his release clause, following a summer-long chase.
And Arteta, who has supervised a superb Arsenal start to the season, said: “We have been watching Thomas for a while, so we’re now delighted to add such a high quality player to our squad. He is a dynamic midfielder with great energy. He brings a lot of experience from a top club that has competed at the highest level in La Liga and the Champions League for several years.
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“We’re very impressed with his attitude and his approach to the game. He’s an intelligent footballer and we’re looking forward to him integrating into our system and contributing to the progress we’re building at the moment at the club.”
Partey made 188 appearances for Atletico Madrid in his time in Spain but there has always been a sense that he is destined for a high profile move.
He has grown in stature with the Black Stars of Ghana and the Arsenal move is expected to cement his growing reputation in the country.
Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Teye Partey for a four year-deal, the club announced on their Twitter handle.
The Gunners announced that the club had landed their long-term target hours before the transfer deadline closed.
“@Thomaspartey22 has joined us from Atletico Madrid on a long-term contract. Welcome to the party,” said the tweet, followed by a 15-second welcome video montage of their newest star with the hashtag #NoThomasNoPartey.
Earlier, Atletico Madrid confirmed the departure of their midfielder to the English Premier League side.
Minutes before Arsenal officially confirmed the deal, Atletico posted on their Twitterhandle on Monday evening that the player has ceased to be their player after the English side paid his £45 million buyout clause on transfer deadline day.
“Arsenal representatives have paid Thomas Partey’s release clause on behalf of the player.
“LaLiga informed Atlético de Madrid at 11.28pm on Monday that Arsenal representatives have paid Thomas Partey’s release clause at the sports association’s headquarters,” Atletico tweeted.
“The player has therefore unilaterally terminated his contract with our club, which ran until June 30, 2023.”
The midfielder will feature for Ghana against Mali on Friday in Turkey
According to reports, Partey has undergone medicals in Madrid on Monday and is expected to sign a four-year deal with the Gunners before flying to Turkey to join his Black Stars teammates for two international friendly matches against Mali on Friday and Qatar next Monday.
Partey had long been linked with a move to the London side since last season, but the Spanish giants placed a £45 million buyout clause on him, which the Gunners triggered to seal the deal.
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta told the club’s official website: “We have been watching Thomas for a while, so we’re now delighted to add such a high quality player to our squad. He is a dynamic midfielder with great energy.
“He brings a lot of experience from a top club that has competed at the highest level in La Liga and the Champions League for several years.#
Mikel Arteta is an admirer of the Ghanaian star
“We’re very impressed with his attitude and his approach to the game. He’s an intelligent footballer and we’re looking forward to him integrating into our system and contributing to the progress we’re building at the moment at the club.”
It is understood that the midfielder will wear the No. 18 jersey.
FIFA Coaching Instructor, Bernhard Lippert has been appointed as Technical Director of the Ghana Football Association for a period of two years.
The 58-year-old German trainer is a FIFA expert in instructing and training coaches and coach trainers.
As the then Technical Director and U17, U19 and U21 Head Coach, he played a vital role in qualifying Azerbaijan for the first time in the country’s history to the Elite round of their respective European competitions. He also achieved the best result with the U21 in the history of the country during the European qualifiers.
Lippert was Head Coach of Eintracht Frankfurt between 1998-99 where he also served as Assistant coach, Youth Education Supervisor and Head Coach of Eintracht Frankfurt U23 at different occasions.
At Eintracht Frankfurt, he trained and developed over 20 players in the youth system of the club to become regular players in the Bundesliga.
At the early stages of his coaching career, he had brief coaching stints with German football giants Bayern Munich, English side Leeds United and Spanish club, .
As Technical Director of the Ghana FA, he will head the Technical Directorate and formulate guidelines, strategies and policies for the training and the technical development of coaches of Ghana football, to provide advice to the Executive Council on coaching and technical development matters in general and the supervision of national football team coaches, to which the Technical Director may be assigned by the Association.
Bernhard Lippert will be responsible for the strategy, development and technical direction of the Technical Directorate, the preparation and implementation of technical programmes at the grassroots, juvenile, and National Teams thereby preparing football coaches and footballers for the future.
He shall be required to build the capacity of the of Technical Directorate of the Association that will include but not limited to the following departments; Coach Education, Referee Education, Talent Identification, Performance Analysis, Technical Studies and Video Analysis, Health and Nutrition, Sports Psychology, Strength and Conditioning and Sports Medicine.
As part of his functions, the Technical Director will arrange courses and conferences for Match Officials, Team Officials, Instructors, Trainers and Administrators.
He is also expected to assess the training programme of the National Teams, examine Reports on players made by the Handlers (Team Managers, Coaches and the Welfare Officers), analyse International Matches and advise the Association.
The former footballer and highly respected coaches’ trainer is fluent in English, Spanish and German.
Bernhad Lipper has been appointed as the Technical Director after a process which saw over one hundred coaches applying for the job with six technical personalities being shortlisted for interviews (three Ghanaian Coachs and three foreign coaches).
Ghana forward Nana Opoku Ampomah has completed his season long loan move to Belgium side Royal Antwerp.
The winger arrived in Belgium on Monday morning from German Bundesliga II outfit Fortuna Dusseldorf to seal the move on transfer deadline day.
Ampomah has been linked with a move away from Dusseldorf following a torrid spell last season, and there were reports he could be joining former side Waasland Beveren,
However, the winger chose Royal Anywerp for top tier football.
GHANASoccernet.com can confirm, Ampomah is joining Antwerp on a season-long loan from German side Fortuna Dusseldorf with an option to buy at the end of the season.
The 24-year-old arrived at the Bosuilstadion on Monday to complete other details of the his move.
The summer transfer window also shuts on Monday.
Ampomah knows the Belgian league having played for Waasland-Beveren and KV Mechelen since 2016.
With the Waaslanders, Ampomah netted 19 goals and 11 assists in 88 games.
Asante Kotoko have responded to a letter sent to them by the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana which sought to express their displeasure with regards to how some players have been treated.
Player Welfare body, Professional Footballers Association of Ghana wrote to the Ghanaian giants over what they termed as unfair treatment meted out to some players.
It would be recalled that Kelvin Andoh, formerly of Wa All Stars (now Legon Cities) and Douglas Owusu Ansah were recently asked to leave the club.
These players then resorted to the players’ welfare body after the club asked them to come for their termination letters without any consultation with these players or their representatives.
According to the PFAG, some players were removed from the players’ WhatsApp platform without their notice.
Their letter further stated that the Porcupine Warriors conducted their COVID-19 test without including some players, which to them, could cause danger.
Below is a copy of the letter to Asante Kotoko
However, in a swift response, the Reds have stated categorically that it does not have any WhatsApp platform for the team’s players.
Again, they hold the right to conduct its COVID-19 test in badges.
Asante Kotoko has postponed their initial plans to continue their pre-season programme in the Eastern Region.
The Porcupine Warriors decided to move to the Eastern Regional capital – Koforidua on Sunday, October 4, 2020, to continue their preparations for the upcoming 2020-21 season.
They had already commenced full-scale training on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, at the team’s training complex at Adako Jackie.
According to the Communications Manager of the club, Moses Antwi Benefo, the hierarchy has received late options for their preseason plans and that they could travel outside the country.
” We have received late options for our pre-season and for footballing reasons, we can’t travel to Koforidua for now so we will train in Kumasi for this wee,” Moses Antwi Benefo said on Oyerepa FM
“There is a possibility of travelling abroad for the pre-season, we are weighing all the options and could be possible travelling abroad can be the third phase of our pre-season training, ” he revealed.
The Ghanaian giants will represent Ghana in next season’s Caf Champions League.
The Ghana Football Association has officially unveiled the new kits for the national teams today.
Pictures of the 2020 kits for the national teams caused traffic on social media suddenly awakening the never-ending debate on whether Ghana should revert to the yellow jersey or stick to the white kits.
The Puma Ghana 2020-21 home shirt introduces a bold design featuring the same graphic as the away, albeit in a slightly more subtle, monochrome application. The Puma logo is green and the back collar red.
While the Puma Ghana 2020-2021 away football shirt introduces a bold and outstanding design in black with an eye-catching yellow and green graphic on the front.
Aduana Stars striker, Yahaya Mohammed has opened up on his fine relationship with the club’s owner, Nana Osagyefo-Agyemang Badu II.
The 32-year-old was close to joining AshantiGold for the upcoming season, but the deal hit a snag. According to reports, Nana Agyemang Badu did not approve the switch as he wants the striker to stay on.
Nana Agyemang Badu II
Yahaya Mohammed disclosed to Hello FM, that he is not ready to break up the relationship between the two as he could benefit immensely after his football career.
“I can play for Aduana Stars for free without charging them because of the relationship between Nana Agyemang Badu I and me. Money cannot buy that relationship and I have a life after football. The man is a businessman so if you think about today you’ll end up today. I don’t know what’s going to happen in future, ” he told Hello FM
“My aim is to be a coach in the future but God can change my destiny to become a businessman. And, this man is already there.
“The kind of relationship I have built with him, I think it is an opportunity for me because no player is closer to Nana Osagyefo than me in Aduana Stars. So I respect that relationship and I am not ready to break up that relationship. I cherish it so much and I must say his wish is my command.”
