Former Arsenal and current Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey has denied multiple allegations of rape and sexual assault, pleading not guilty when he appeared before Southwark Crown Court in London.
The 32-year-old Ghanaian international faces five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, stemming from alleged incidents that occurred between 2021 and 2022 while he was playing in the English Premier League.
Partey was formally charged just four days after leaving Arsenal at the end of June, when his contract with the club expired. Prosecutors allege that the offences involved two women who accused him of rape and a third who claimed she was sexually assaulted.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Partey spoke only to confirm his identity before entering not guilty pleas to all six charges. He was subsequently granted bail ahead of a full trial, which is scheduled to begin at Southwark Crown Court on November 2, 2026.
Under the terms of his bail, Partey is permitted to continue playing professional football, but he must inform police of any international travel at least 24 hours in advance and is prohibited from contacting the complainants.
The midfielder was already back in England as Villarreal faced Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening. He came off the bench during the second half, though his team fell to a 1-0 defeat.
The case marks a major development in the career of the Ghanaian star, who was a key figure for Arsenal after joining from Atlético Madrid in 2020 and is now seeking to rebuild his career in Spain with Villarreal.
The trial is expected to attract global attention given Partey’s high profile in both European football and Ghana’s national team setup.
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