April 14 – Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to two further counts of rape at Southwark Crown Court.
The former Arsenal midfielder, 32, entered the plea on Monday. The two new counts will be tried alongside five earlier rape charges and one count of sexual assault, following not guilty pleas entered in September 2025. The trial had been scheduled for November but may now be pushed back to early 2027.
Partey, who left Arsenal for Villarreal last summer, arrived at court dressed in black, travelling in a people carrier and declining to speak to reporters. A day earlier, he was absent from Villarreal’s La Liga squad for their match against Athletic Club.
The charges cover four complainants in total. At a hearing in September 2025, Partey denied five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving three women. In February, he was charged with two additional counts of rape relating to a separate complainant. A magistrate ruled in March that he must have no direct or indirect contact with that complainant. He is also required to notify authorities of any address changes or foreign travel plans.
His defence lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire said in February: “Thomas Partey continues to deny all charges against him. He has cooperated fully with the police throughout. Given that legal proceedings are ongoing, there will be no further comment.”
Partey was first charged in July 2025, four days after his Arsenal contract expired. He joined Villarreal on a one-year free transfer deal shortly after, with an option to extend. He had made 167 appearances for Arsenal following his €50 million move from Atletico Madrid in 2020, and has earned 53 caps for Ghana, featuring at the 2022 World Cup.
This season he has played 26 times for Villarreal, starting 12 of those matches. Villarreal’s next fixture is away to Real Oviedo on April 23.