Ex-Arsenal mid-fielder Thomas Partey charged with five counts of rape

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape, British police said on Friday.

The 32-year-old also faces one count of sexual assault relating to an alleged offence that took place between 2021 and 2022.

Police said the investigation was opened in February 2022 when it first received a report of rape.

The five rape charges relate to two different women. The sexual assault charge relates to a third woman.

Partey is a free agent after his Arsenal contract expired at the end of last season. He joined the Premier League club in 2020 for $61.8 million from Spanish team Atletico Madrid.

“Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward,” Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Metropolitan Police said.

Partey is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on 5 August, police said.