Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey pleads not guilty to two further charges of rape

Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to two new charges of rape.

The 32-year-old midfielder entered the pleas on Monday at Southwark Crown Court, where he denied twice raping a woman in London on a day in December 2020.

Partey was charged with the alleged offences in February this year.

In September 2025, he appeared at the same court to deny five counts of rape against two other women, and one charge of sexual assault against a third.

Those offences are alleged to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, when he played for Arsenal.

Judge Tony Baumgartner, the Recorder of Westminster, agreed on Monday for all the allegations to be tried together, but warned the trial could now be delayed until January next year.

In total, the footballer has now pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to allegations from four different women.

He was released on bail ahead of his trial.

The lawyer for the Ghana midfielder, who now plays for Spanish club Villarreal, previously said he "denies all the charges against him".

The case is next due to be listed in court for a pre-trial hearing on 14 May.

Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 in a transfer worth around £45m, before leaving the club in June last year.

He has made more than 50 appearances for Ghana, including at the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.

(c) Sky News 2026: Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey pleads not guilty to two further charges of rape