Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape.
Partey, 32, gave his plea at a hearing at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, a day after he was not part of the matchday squad for Spanish side Villarreal’s La Liga game against Athletic Club.
Those two counts will be tried alongside five other counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, already set to be tried at Southwark Crown Court following earlier not guilty pleas by Partey. The trial was originally scheduled for November this year, but it may now be delayed until early 2027.
Partey, who signed for La Liga club Villarreal as a free agent in August 2025, appeared at court dressed in black, arriving in a people carrier and declining to speak with reporters.
At a hearing in September 2025, Partey entered not guilty pleas to five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving three women. In February, he was subsequently charged with two further counts of rape relating to a separate complainant.
At a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on March 13, deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram ruled that Partey must not make any direct or indirect contact with the new complainant, consistent with his existing bail conditions. Those conditions also require him to notify authorities of any changes to his address or plans to travel abroad.
Speaking in February, Partey’s defence lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, said: “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, just four days after his Arsenal contract expired and he left the club.
He had previously appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court the following month, when he was granted conditional bail. Two days later, the Ghana international captain joined Villarreal on a one-year deal as a free agent, with an option to extend for an additional year.
After his €50million (£42.7m; $57.3m) move from Atletico Madrid in October 2020, Partey made 167 appearances for Arsenal. He has earned 53 caps for Ghana and played at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
This season, he has featured in 26 matches for Villarreal, starting 12 times. The Spanish side are next in action against Real Oviedo away on April 23.
