LONDON — Ghanaian international footballer Thomas Partey, formerly of Arsenal and currently with Spanish club Villarreal, faces intensified legal troubles as UK authorities have brought two additional rape charges against the 32-year-old athlete. The new allegations involve a single victim and date back to events alleged to have occurred in 2020.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the charges following an investigation launched after the alleged offense was formally reported in August 2025. Partey is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on March 13 to address these latest charges.
This development compounds the serious legal challenges already facing the midfielder. In September, Partey had entered not guilty pleas at Southwark Crown Court regarding five separate rape counts involving two different women, plus an additional charge of sexual assault against a third individual. Those alleged incidents are said to have taken place between 2021 and 2022 during his tenure with Arsenal Football Club. A trial for these initial charges is scheduled for November 2.
Partey’s professional career includes a high-profile £45 million (approximately $61 million) transfer from Atletico Madrid to Arsenal in 2020. During his four-year stint with the London club, he made 167 appearances before departing in June last year to join Villarreal.
The ongoing legal proceedings cast uncertainty over Partey’s international career with Ghana, where he has earned over 50 caps and remains a potential candidate for the national squad in upcoming international competitions, including the World Cup later this year.