Premier League giants Arsenal were one of the many clubs that monitored Ibrahim Sangare for a long time while he played for Toulouse. The Gunners were extremely serious about signing the Ivorian star in the summer of 2020 but eventually landed Thomas Partey from Atletico Madrid instead.
According to Sangare’s agent Musampa, Arsenal prepared a 300-page document on the player as they were keen on signing the young midfielder at the Emirates stadium.
While speaking to De Telegraaf last week, Musampa explained Arsenal’s interest in his client when Sangare was plying his trade at Toulouse.
He said, “At Toulouse, he (Sangare) was on the radar of a lot of clubs. They come naturally. I got an invitation from Arsenal. There they had three hundred pages of analysis and data of his game. Thomas Partey, however, was the first choice.”
Musampa further added that Sangare was at a crossroads over whether to make a move to the Premier League or play his football elsewhere before taking a giant stride into one of the best leagues in the world. The talented midfielder then asked his father which club he should join before making the move to PSV Eindhoven.
“I thought he would choose the Premier League. But he also liked PSV. He asked, ‘Dad, what should I choose?’. He wanted to play football and not go to the Premier League at all costs. PSV always plays in the top and plays in the Champions League or Europa League. He can always make the step.” admitted Musampa.
Sangare then moved to the Eredivisie club in September 2020 and missed only two Eredivisie games in his debut season, while he chipped in with one goal and two assists. Meanwhile, Arsenal were able to make a bid for Thomas Partey and signed the midfielder from Atletico Madrid after activating his £45 million release clause in October 2020.
Thomas Partey made a total of 33 appearances in the Premier League for Arsenal last season. He has gone on to make another five appearances for Mike Arteta’s side this season. However, despite having a massive impact on Arsenal’s midfield since his arrival, Partey is yet to score his first goal for the club.
