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Ghanaian international and Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to multiple rape and sexual assault charges.
The 32-year-old, who previously played for Arsenal, is accused of five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving three women. The alleged offences are said to have taken place between 2021 and 2022 while he was playing for the Premier League side. Partey was formally charged just four days after leaving Arsenal at the end of June, following the expiry of his contract.
Partey appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, where he confirmed his name and date of birth before entering not guilty pleas to all the charges during a brief hearing. Judge Christopher Hehir informed him that his trial has been scheduled for 2 November 2026, noting the long delay was due to a significant backlog of cases in the crown courts, with priority given to defendants currently in custody.
Partey has been granted bail under the same conditions set at an earlier hearing: he is prohibited from contacting any of the alleged victims and must inform police of any permanent change of address or international travel plans.
His court appearance came just a day after featuring in Villarreal’s 1-0 Champions League defeat to Tottenham in London. Partey joined the Spanish club last month after making 167 appearances and scoring nine goals during his time at Arsenal, having signed from Atlético Madrid in 2020 for around £45 million. He also earned over 50 caps for Ghana and made 52 appearances for Arsenal last season alone.
Arsenal have stated they cannot comment on the case due to ongoing legal proceedings.
