Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey pleads not guilty to new rape charges

Ghana footballer Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to two new allegations of rapes.

The 32-year-old midfielder appeared before the Southwark Crown Court in London (United Kingdom) on Monday (13 April).

He denied twice raping a woman in the English capital in December 2020.

In July 2025, Partey was already charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to alleged incidents from 2021 and 2022, Sky Sports reported.

He also pleaded not guilty to those charges.

The new accusations were announced in February. On Monday, Judge Tony Baumgartner agreed for all the charges to be tried together, possibly delaying the trial until January 2027.

In total, the former Arsenal player faces seven allegations of rape and one of sexual assault from four different women. He denies all the accusations.

“Thomas Partey continues to deny all charges against him. He has cooperated with the police throughout,” his lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said on Monday.

Partey, who joined La Liga club Villareal last summer, remains out on bail throughout the legal proceedings.

The Ghana midfielder is expected to play in the upcoming FIFA World Cup starting in June, although a new muscle injury is raising concerns regarding his participation.

In the meantime, Partey’s case is due to be listed in court for a pre-trial hearing on 14 May, according to Sky Sports.