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21st July 2025
09:34am BST
Premier League runners-up Arsenal came under heavy criticism for not suspending ex-player Thomas Partey before he was charged by the CPS with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault earlier this month.
The 32-year-old was reportedly first questioned by police from as early as 2022, but Arsenal continued to utilise the player for the next three years, all while police investigations were ongoing.
The club were also said to have been in negotiations over a new contract with Partey just weeks ago.
Partey eventually left Arsenal at the conclusion of his contract on June 30th and was charged by the CPS just four days later.
This was the first time that Partey was officially named by investigators, with a spokesperson for the CPS saying: “The Crown Prosecution Service has today (4 July) authorised the prosecution of Thomas Partey for multiple counts of rape – after carefully reviewing a comprehensive file of evidence.”
Now Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has finally spoken about Partey’s situation for the first time since those allegations first emerged.
Speaking at a press conference, he told reporters: “There are a lot of legal matters that are very complicated so I cannot comment on any of that [Partey's allegations]."
Arteta — who was speaking ahead of Arsenal’s pre-season tour — was pressed on whether Arsenal had followed all the proper procedures in the handling of the Partey situation. The 43-year-old responded: “100%”
The allegations against Partey have been made by three separate women and relate to the period between 2021 and 2022.
The Ghanian footballer denies all allegations, with his lawyer saying: "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."
