Partner is desperate to become known (9)
I believe the answer is:
transpire
'become known' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'partner is desperate' is the wordplay.
'desperate' is an anagram indicator.
'partner'+'is'='partneris'
'partneris' is an anagram of 'TRANSPIRE'.
'to' is the link.
(Other definitions for transpire that I've seen before include "revealed" , "Happen[s]" , "give off water vapour" , "Lose water vapour" , "Prove to be so, happen" .)