Mikel Arteta maintains that Arsenal acted appropriately and followed proper procedures prior to Thomas Partey being formally accused of multiple sexual offences.
The allegations, brought forward by three women, reportedly occurred between the years 2021 and 2022.
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Partey, who has denied all accusations, came under investigation by the Metropolitan Police in July 2022, with the case later referred to the Crown Prosecution Service in December 2024. ..Continue Reading
His name was not made public until four days after his contract with Arsenal ended on June 30, when the charges were officially filed.
Despite the ongoing investigation, Partey continued to feature regularly in Arteta’s squad, and discussions about a contract extension had even taken place earlier in the year.
After Partey was charged, Arsenal released the statement: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings the club is unable to comment on the case.”
Arteta was unable to add much when facing the media at the start of a pre-season tour in Asia. When asked about how he reacted to Partey being charged, 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.”
But when pressed on whether he felt Arsenal had followed due processes while Partey was under investigation, Arteta added: “100 per cent.”
Partey, who scored nine goals in 167 matches for Arsenal, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5.
His lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, has said: “Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him. He has fully cooperated with the police and 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.”
Arsenal kick off their pre-season schedule with a clash against AC Milan on Wednesday, followed by matches against Newcastle United over the weekend and a derby showdown with Tottenham next week.
They’ll also face Villarreal and Athletic Club as part of their warm-up fixtures ahead of their Premier League opener against Manchester United on August 17.
However, their build-up has hit a snag—Mikel Arteta revealed that heavy rainfall in Singapore forced the squad to cancel Monday’s training session.
