Ghana international Thomas Partey – 27 games for Ghana, 10 goals scored -has been heavily linked with a move away from his La Liga club Atletido de Madrid to join Premier League side Arsenal but how did the few Ghanaians that played for the London club fare? SportsWorldGhana.com goes into the archives and serve you this.
Quincy Owusu Abeyie – 18 caps for Black Stars with 2 goals – passed through at the London club between 2002 and 2006 appearing in just five Premier League games in three full seasons with the team then managed by Arsene Wenger.
Abeyie failed to break into the star-studded Arsenal side that won the league title unbeaten in 2003/04 and it is understandable if one considers that quality of that side that contained the likes of Thiery Henry, Robert Pires, Frederick Ljunberg and co. Arsenal reached the Champions league finals where they lost to Barcelona and still there was no real chance for the Ghanaian pacy winger who eventually packed his things in the summer of 2006 and signed for Spartak Moscow in Russia.
Verdict : Flop but understandable.
Owusu Abeyie was at Arsenal FC from 2002 to 2006
Emmanuel Frimpong was known for his energy in the midfield and has been compared with ex-Arsenal player Alex Song and various other African midfielders like Michael Essien who have lots of pace and stamina but he failed to live up to expectation partly due to injuries.
Frimpong in particular seemed to had the biggest chance to become first team regular when Cameroonian Alexander Song left for FC Barcelona at the end of the 2011/12 season but that will not happen.
He made his first start in the Premier League on 20 August 2011 against Liverpool, but ended up being sent off in the 69th minute of the match after receiving a second yellow card for a challenge on Lucas. Following Arsenal’s loss to Manchester City in the League Cup quarter-finals, Frimpong and then-teammate Samir Nasri clashed in the tunnel. They had tussled throughout the tie and at the end of the match they appeared to start arguing as the teams walked off the pitch, before continuing their disagreement in the tunnel. In the end his time at Arsenal is seen as a massive flop and after leaving the Gunners Frimpong never produced any significant career anywhere he went.
Verdict: Flop, partly due to injury but overall he could have done better.
Emmanuel Frimong was as strong midfielder
As we have seen Ghanaian footballers at Arsenal do not have good memories but Partey is another different player. He has taken not less then five years to establish himself in the first team of Atletico and Diego Simeone cannot do without him. Should he join Arsenal , he comes in as an European Champion and a master, not an apprentice of the game.
Verdict : 80% to succeed at Arsenal
Thomas Partey
