Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to two fresh rape allegations during a court appearance in London on Monday.
The 32-year-old, who currently plays for Villarreal, appeared before the Southwark Crown Court, where he formally denied the latest charges. The allegations relate to an incident said to have taken place in London in December 2020.
The new charges add to an already complex case involving the Ghana international. Partey had previously been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault linked to separate incidents alleged to have occurred between 2021 and 2022.
He has consistently denied all accusations. With the latest development, the midfielder now faces a total of seven rape charges and one count of sexual assault involving four different women.
During Monday’s hearing, the presiding judge, Tony Baumgartner, ruled that all the charges would be combined and heard in a single trial.
Partey remains on bail under strict conditions, including a ban on contacting any of the alleged victims.
The legal proceedings come after Partey ended his five-year spell with Arsenal, having joined the club from Atlético Madrid in 2020. He moved to Villarreal last year and has since made over 20 appearances for the Spanish side.
Despite the ongoing case, he remains active in professional football and is expected to be part of Ghana’s squad for the upcoming World Cup.
A trial initially scheduled for November 2026 may now be pushed back to January 2027 following the decision to merge all charges. A pre-trial hearing has been fixed for May 14 to address scheduling and other legal matters.
The case continues to draw attention as proceedings unfold.
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