Former Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute hopes that Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey remains in LaLiga amidst ongoing transfer rumours linking him with a move away from the club.
Partey has established himself as one of the top African players in European football since breaking into Atletico Madrid’s first-team back in 2015.
The 26-year-old has been one of Europe's stand-out box-to-box midfielders and his superlative performances in La Liga has caught the eyes of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, who has identified the Ghanaian midfielder as his top target in midfield.
But Kanoute is keen to see the 26-year-old remain in the Spanish top flight.
“There are a few exciting [African] players in LaLiga in my opinion,” former Mali international Kanoute told Goal during a LaLiga conference on Wednesday.
“I really like Thomas [Partey] of Atletico Madrid. He’s a player who is going to keep improving, and there have even been rumours of him leaving to other clubs.
“We hope to keep him in LaLiga as long as possible.”
Partey has made 24 La Liga appearances and 35 appearances across all competitions so far this season prior to the Covid-19 suspension.
According to Whoscored, he averaged 2.1 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game.
Partey was instrumental in Atletico Madrid’s Champions League knockout triumph over defending champions Liverpool as Diego Simeone’s side triumphed 4-2 on aggregate.
