Soccer player Partey pleads not guilty to additional rape charges in UK - report

Thomas Partey appeared before a court in London on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to two additional counts of rape.

The Ghana international had previously denied five counts of rape involving two women, as well as one charge of sexual assault linked to a third woman. The allegations are said to have taken place between 2021 and 2022.

The 32-year-old midfielder now faces two further rape charges connected to a fourth complainant, relating to an alleged incident in December 2020. He entered not guilty pleas during proceedings at Southwark Crown Court.

The alleged offenses date back to his time with Arsenal in the Premier League. Partey left the club last summer and later signed with Villarreal CF.

He was granted bail ahead of his trial, which is currently scheduled to begin in November, although it could face delays.

Partey joined Arsenal from Atlético Madrid in 2020 for a reported fee of 50 million euros ($58.49 million) and became a regular member of the team before his contract expired at the end of June. -Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by Michael Holden/Reuters