Black Stars midfielder, Thomas Partey
Thomas Partey has finally completed his move to Spanish La Liga side Villareal ahead of the 2025/2026 football season as a free agent after running out his contract at Arsenal in the Premier League.
He signed a two year deal with the Yellow Submarines and will be expected to lead the team as the ‘Big Boy’ as Villareal return to the UEFA Champions League following their impressive performance last season.
Ahead of Partey’s return to Spain after leaving Atletico five years ago, we look at four reasons why his move to Villareal is good for the player and Ghanaians.
Villareal will stand by him
Partey is currently fighting for his life in court and will need all the support he can get to be able to sail through smoothly.
Villareal’s decision to back Partey publicly with their statement that he is innocent until proven guilty is exactly what he needs to quell the noise around his trial.
Several players like Mason Greenwood and Benjamin Mendy have been in Partey’s situation before but their clubs decided to suspend them from all football related activities the very moment the players were charged by the police.
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Familiar terrain
The Spanish La Liga is a familiar terrain for the Ghanaian international as he spent close to a decade in Spain after leaving his home country Ghana as a teenager.
Partey won’t need adaptation in the La Liga as he was a household name in the league before he joined Arsenal 4 years ago.
He spent over 8 years at Atletico Madrid and spent two seasons on loan at Real Mallorca and UD Almeria making a total of 200 appearances and scoring 21 goals as a defensive midfielder in the La Liga.
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Competing at the highest level
Partey could have earned millions of euros by moving to the Saudi Pro League but he decided to reduce his wages drastically to join Villareal because of competitive football, particularly the UEFA Champions League.
Partey is currently in his early 30s and will need to stay fit competitively ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and he will be able to do that by playing against the best teams and players in the world.
He will face Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Bilbao in the La Liga and might face any of the top teams outside of Spain in the UEFA Champions League.
This will also be good for Ghanaians because the Black Stars will need all available players in proper shape and form for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
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Leader of the team
Partey’s leadership will be hugely tested at Villareal as he is going to be the face of the club as the biggest name the Yellow Sub Marines will have on their roaster and that will be good to build up his portfolio.
He was an important player at Arsenal but he was not the main man and Villareal will give him the opportunity for the first time in his career.
This will also help establish him as the best or one of the best in his opposition currently in world football.
Meanwhile, watch as Derrick Maccaire opens up on challenges in kickboxing, MMA in Ghana
