Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has praised the qualities of midfielder Thomas Partey while stating that he could have played for either Manchester City or Manchester United. The Ghana international has developed through the ranks at the Madrid giants and he was recently central to their impressive 2-0 triumph over Getafe in the Spanish La Liga.
Speaking to reporters, Simeone was impressed with the showing of Partey in the centre of the park after influencing both first-half goals scored by Antonio Griezmann and Saul Niguez respectively. He added that the Ghanaian could have quite easily headed to the Premier League in another instance and rates him very highly within the club’s ranks.
“I liked Thomas today. He and Rodrigo [Hernandez Cascante] were great. I think he's improving, Thomas is an amazing player. He could have played for Manchester City [or] Manchester United. We're talking about a great player here. I rate him very highly,” he was quoted as saying following the 2-0 triumph over Getafe at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Partey initially made a slow start to the proceedings with the Madrid-based outfit but over the past 18 months, he has become more of a regular while shining in the central midfield role. In the current season, he has not been overly creative but he has nonetheless been a notable presence at the heart of the midfield while contributing two goals and four assists in the process.
During the recent winter transfer window, Partey was identified as one of the probable targets for Manchester City with Fernandinho approaching the final stages of his career and the Citizens may yet consider an approach when the season comes to a close. Partey, who is contracted to Atleti under June 2023, has made nearly 125 appearances for them across all competitions. He has also managed 17 caps with the Ghanaian national team.