Eyebrows have been raised across the Premier League at the timing of the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to charge the now former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey with five counts of rape.
The Ghana international, who denies the charges, was initially arrested in July 2022 — three years ago — but continued to be a key influence for the Gunners.
The charges landed just three days after the expiration of his Arsenal contract, which has not been renewed despite continuous praise from Mikel Arteta, has been the talk of the competition.