Ghanaian and Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey on Wednesday pleaded not guilty to multiple sexual offence charges in a UK court.
The 32-year-old former Arsenal player faces five counts of rape and one charge of sexual assault, alleged to have been committed between 2021 and 2022 while he was playing for the Premier League club.
Partey, who left Arsenal at the end of June following the expiry of his contract, was formally charged four days later. Appearing briefly at Southwark Crown Court, he confirmed his name and date of birth before entering not guilty pleas to all charges.
Judge Christopher Hehir confirmed that the trial is scheduled to begin on November 2, 2026. He explained the long delay was due to a significant backlog of cases, prioritising those involving defendants held in custody.
Partey was granted bail under the same conditions imposed at an earlier hearing: he must not contact any of the three complainants and must inform police of any permanent change of address or international travel.
His court appearance came just a day after featuring for Spanish side Villarreal in their 1-0 Champions League defeat to Tottenham in London.
Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 for around £45 million ($61m), going on to make 167 appearances for the Gunners, scoring nine goals. Last season, he featured 52 times and netted four goals. He has also earned more than 50 international caps for Ghana.
Partey signed for Villarreal last month.
An Arsenal spokesperson, responding earlier, said: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the club is unable to comment further on the case.”
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