Thomas Partey in UK court charged with rape, sexual assault

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 soccer 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.

The 32-year-old, who British media have reported is close to joining Spanish side Villarreal on a free transfer, sat in the dock dressed in black during the brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

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.

Partey was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($57.7 million) in 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal's first team.

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.