Partey should turn down Arsenal, claims former Villa striker

Thomas Partey should turn down interest from Arsenal and instead continue to ply his trade in Spain, claims former Aston Villa striker Nii Lamptey. 

The Ghana international has been heavily linked with a move to the Gunners in recent weeks and while Atletico Madrid are eager to keep him in Spain, a £50m release clause in his contract means the decision is out of their hands.  

Atletico are desperate for Partey to put pen to paper on a new deal in Spain, which would double his current release clause. 

And Lamptey, who endured a short and unsuccessful spell with Villa in the 1994/95 season, has warned his compatriot to reject a move to England and instead focus his efforts on developing with Los Colchoneros. 

"There are numerous offers coming for Thomas Teye Partey but his career will take a nosedive if he doesn’t choose his next move well," Lamptey told Ocean 1 TV via the Evening Standard. 

"The country and league he will pick will determine his future. I will advise him to stay in Spain rather than going to England or Italy. 

"Per style of play, he can move within Spain and join another top club rather than focusing on the financial gains to move out of the country because that can be suicidal. 

"Sometimes, decision making can destroy your career. My move to England was a wrong one for me. 

"Aston Villa was a wrong move because their style of play was not going to suit me. If I had gone to France or Spain at that time, it would have helped my career more than going to England."

Partey has been a key man for Atletico this term and has impressed, particularly, in the Champions League as his WhoScored rating of 7.55 suggests.