Ghanaian international and Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to multiple sexual offence charges at Southwark Crown Court in London.
The 32-year-old is facing five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, alleged to have occurred between 2021 and 2022 during his time at Arsenal.
Partey appeared in court on Wednesday, where he confirmed his identity and entered not guilty pleas.
The midfielder, who left Arsenal at the end of June following the expiry of his contract, signed for Spanish side Villarreal in August. He featured in their 1-0 Champions League loss to Tottenham in London on Tuesday, coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute.
Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 in a £45 million move and made 167 appearances for the Gunners, scoring nine goals. He has also been capped more than 50 times for Ghana.
Arsenal, in a brief statement, said: “The player’s contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the club is unable to comment on the case.”
