Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to two new allegations of rape, bringing the total number of rape charges he faces to seven. The 32-year-old appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Monday to deny raping a woman twice in London on a single day in December 2020.
Partey, who left Arsenal for Villarreal last summer, was charged in July last year with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations from 2021 and 2022. He previously pleaded not guilty to those charges, and a trial was set for November this year. The two new rape charges were announced in February.
On Monday, Mr Justice Baumgartner, the recorder of Westminster, agreed for all allegations to be tried together. However, he warned Partey and lawyers that the trial could be delayed until January next year. In total, Partey has now pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, involving allegations from four different women.
During the hearing, Partey, wearing dark grey trousers, a black jumper over a white shirt and smart black shoes, spoke only to confirm his name and enter the two not guilty pleas. He left the dock with his charcoal grey suit jacket over his left shoulder. Partey was absent from Westminster Magistrates' Court last month when the charges first appeared before a judge, but his lawyer indicated not guilty pleas would be entered.
Partey, who previously lived in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, joined Arsenal from Atlético Madrid in 2020 for about £45m and left the club in June 2025 upon expiry of his contract. He may play for Ghana against England during the group stages of this summer's World Cup. The case is next due in court for a pre-trial hearing on 14 May, when a decision on the exact trial date will be made.
