If we can only sign one it looks more likely to be Aouar than Partey, and we may not be able to raise the funds to be able to sign Partey this window. Further to this I do not see our finances improving until we see crowds back at the games, which may not be until much of the season has been played.
The question is do we then stick with what we have or do we look to secure a similar player we can afford now as an alternative? IMO we should do so if it both directly addresses an issue with the current team and allows Arteta to play his preferred shape and roles. The next question is do we still consider Partey as still being the primary target at age 28, and do we look to buy or loan an alternative?
For example I've seen Khedira's name suggested as he is a free agent. Does his decreased physical capability offer us anything more than the likes of Elneny, and/or would he then enable us to then consider Elneny an option for sale to generate funds towards signing Partey? Or should we look to the likes of Sangare or any of the other midfielders we have been 'linked' to, and are they better than the options we have re the likes of Willock/Saka/AMN as potentially part of an inverted midfield3?
If Xhaka and Ceballos provide adequate cover in a 2 CM midfield in the 343, is this still the case in a 4231, and does Willian provide the missing creative component in the final 3rd if played as CAM. For that matter does a CAM/#10 then negate the need for Laca to continue to play back to goal and to then play as more of a pressing forward without the need to drop into midfield?
Edit - If we were looking at short term options for minimal cost, would Khedira (free) and Coutinho (loan) provide similar capability/options as Partey & Aouar (although Khedira is likely to unable to play a B2B).
