Thomas Partey, the 32-year-old Ghanaian midfielder who recently left Arsenal for Villarreal, entered not guilty pleas to serious sexual allegations during a court session in London this week.
The charges stem from incidents reported over a year-long period while he was with the Premier League club.
Partey faces five rape accusations involving two women and an additional sexual assault claim related to a third individual, with the events allegedly taking place from 2021 through 2022.
Authorities pursued the case shortly after his Arsenal tenure concluded at the end of June, leading to formal charges just days later.
The alleged rapes reportedly happened on multiple occasions at his upscale residence in north London and during a stay at a luxury hotel in Marbella, Spain, while the assault involved non-consensual touching over garments.
At Southwark Crown Court, Partey stood before the judge, verified his personal details, and rejected all six counts during the brief hearing.
Presiding over the matter is Judge Christopher Hehir, who approved continued release on bail but imposed restrictions: Partey must avoid any interaction with the accusers and inform authorities of any shifts in his living situation or trips abroad.
He has been excused from a preliminary review set for late May next year, with the full proceedings slated to begin on November 2, 2026—a timeline pushed back due to ongoing delays in the judicial system.
The trial, anticipated to span as long as two months, will involve a senior judge given the proceedings’ intricacies.
The footballer, who relocated to Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 for a reported £45 million transfer fee, featured prominently in the squad last season with 35 league outings and four goals to his name.
On the international stage, he boasts more than 50 outings for Ghana, including key tournaments like the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations, and earned national player of the year honors for the third time earlier this year.
Just prior to his court date, Partey substituted into Villarreal’s Champions League clash against Tottenham, drawing some crowd reaction upon entering the pitch.
Arsenal officials confirmed the end of Partey’s contract on June 30 and withheld additional remarks, citing the active nature of the legal process.
No further public statements have emerged from Partey or his representatives at this stage. The case continues to unfold amid heightened scrutiny on high-profile figures in sports.
