ARSENAL boss Mikel Arteta on Monday defended the club’s handling of Thomas Partey’s departure after the Ghana international midfielder was arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault.
Arsenal did not offer the 32-year-old a new contract at the end of last season and days later he was charged by British police with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault between 2021 and 2022.
Partey is due to appear before magistrates in London on August 5.
In a statement released on July 4, the day Partey was arrested, Arsenal said: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings the club is unable to comment on the case.”
Arteta was asked during Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Singapore whether the allegations against Partey were the deciding factor in him being released.
The Spaniard said he was “100 percent” convinced that Arsenal had followed the correct procedure, adding: “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.”
Partey joined Arsenal for £45 million from Atletico Madrid in October 2020.
He appeared 35 times in the Premier League last season, scoring four goals, and 12 times in the Champions League. – AFP
