Mikel Arteta has claimed Arsenal followed the correct protocols in the handling of Thomas Partey after the midfielder was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
The 32-year-old left Arsenal earlier this month when his contract expired and was charged by the Crown Prosecution Service just four days later.
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The allegations relate to three different women, who reported incidents between 2021 and 2022.
Partey denies all charges against him.
Partey was first arrested in July 2022 but was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations remained ongoing.
The case was passed to the CPS in December 2024, while Partey continued to play.
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From the 2022/23 season onwards, Partey made 108 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions.
Following the charges, Arsenal released a statement that read: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings the club is unable to comment on the case.”
The Gunners are now on a pre-season tour in Asia and speaking in Singapore, Arteta spoke about the news of Partey’s charges for the very first time.
He said: “The club was very clear in its statement. There are a lot of legal matters that are very complicated so I cannot comment on any of that.”
Pushed on whether he was confident the club followed the correct processes, he replied: “100 per cent.”
The 32-year-old will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5.
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In response to the charges, Partey’s lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said: “Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him.
“He has fully cooperated with the police and the CPS throughout their three-year investigation.
“He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.
“Given that there are now ongoing legal proceedings, my client is unable to comment further.”
The defensive midfielder joined Arsenal in October 2020 after they triggered his £45m release clause from Atletico Madrid.
In total, he went on to spend five seasons in north London and made a total of 167 appearances.
