Mikel Arteta says Arsenal ‘100%’ followed right process with Thomas Partey | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta says he is “100%” confident that Arsenal followed the correct process concerning former midfielder Thomas Partey.

Partey left Arsenal at the end of June and less than a week later was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

The offences involve three women and are reported to have taken place in 2021 and 2022, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

Partey has denied the allegations, and his lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, has said Partey “welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name”.

Arsenal said in a statement on July 4, the day the charges were announced: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings the club is unable to comment on the case.”

The club are now in Singapore for their pre-season tour and Arteta has spoken to the media for the first time since then.

He said: “I think 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.”

As a follow up he was then asked: “A lot of fans have questions over the way in which the matter was handled by the club. Do you feel confident and comfortable that the club followed all the right processes in that?”

He replied: “100%, yes.”

Partey is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 5 August.

The Ghanaian made 52 appearances for Arsenal last season and joined the club for £45m from Atletico Madrid in October 2020.