Former Arsenal player Partey appears in court facing sexual assault charges

Partey denies charges and is set to appear at London's Old Bailey court on September 2 for his next court hearing.

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey appeared in a London court on Tuesday, charged with raping two women while he was a player for the English Premier League club.

Partey, a Ghana international, is accused of five counts of rape relating to two women, plus a charge of sexual assault against a third woman, between April 2021 and June 2022.

🚨 Official: Thomas Partey has been granted bail, after appearing in court on rape charges.

Former Arsenal midfielder will now join Villarreal as expected. 🟡🔜 pic.twitter.com/ZdkMBMtMBZ

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 5, 2025

The 32-year-old sat in the dock at Westminster Magistrates' Court dressed in black during the brief hearing and spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address.

Prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward said that two of the charges Partey faces relate to him allegedly anally raping one complainant during consensual sex on separate occasions.

Three further charges relate to a second woman whom Partey is accused of raping on three occasions, twice in Britain and once in Spain.

He was not asked to enter pleas to any of the charges. Partey was granted bail ahead of his next court appearance at London's Old Bailey court on September 2.

His lawyer previously said in a statement that Partey denies the charges and welcomes the opportunity to clear his name.

🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Thomas Partey bail conditions:

• Not allowed to contact any of the women involved in the case
• Must notify police of any address changes
• Must notify police of International traveling pic.twitter.com/Yxb99R89EW

— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) August 5, 2025

Thomas Partey was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for £45 million in 2020 and became a key member of the English side's first team. He made 167 appearances and scored nine goals during his time with the club. Partey played a crucial role in Mikel Arteta's squad during the 2024-25 season, featuring in 52 matches across all competitions.

In July 2022, Partey was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation, though he wasn't named at the time. He continued to play for Arsenal while the investigation was underway. His contract with the Premier League club expired last month, and he has since left the team.

Current Charges:

• Five counts of rape relating to two women
• One count of sexual assault against a third woman

Partey denies the charges and is set to appear at London's Old Bailey court on September 2 for his next court hearing. He was granted bail after a brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court, where he confirmed his name, date of birth, and address 

He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing. His contract with the Premier League club expired last month.

British media have reported Partey is close to joining Spanish side Villarreal on a free transfer, and Judge Paul Goldspring said during Tuesday's hearing that Partey would soon be moving to Spain.