Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey on Wednesday appeared in a London court and pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault involving three women.
The Ghanaian midfielder pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and one charge of sexual assault when he appeared at Southwark Crown Court.
The alleged offences took place between 2021 and 2022, when the 32-year-old regularly played in the Premier League.
He was charged four days after leaving the north London club, following the expiration of his contract at the end of June.
The alleged offences took place when Partey played for Premier League soccer club Arsenal. He left the club this summer and signed for Spain’s Villarreal.
The 32-year-old appeared in the dock at Southwark Crown Court and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth and enter his not guilty pleas.
He was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59.2 million) in 2020 and became a key member of the English side’s first team, before his contract expired at the end of June.
Partey was present in London this week, not only for his court appearance but also for Villarreal’s UEFA Champions League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.
He featured in the game on Tuesday evening, before attending court in the capital the following morning for the latest hearing.
He came on as a second-half substitute and was booed loudly by the Spurs fans every time he touched the ball.
The former Arsenal star was released on bail ahead of his trial, which was slated for November 2, 2026 and is due to take between six and eight weeks.
