Thomas Partey’s lawyer has told a London court that the former Arsenal midfielder intends to plead not guilty to two new rape charges, as the case was formally transferred to Southwark Crown Court for a hearing on April 10, 2026.
The 32-year-old Ghanaian international was absent from Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday, March 13, having been excused from the preliminary hearing. Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram presided over the brief session, during which defence lawyer Emma Fenn confirmed Partey’s intended not guilty pleas to both new counts.
Prosecutor Arabella MacDonald told the court the two new charges relate to an alleged incident involving a fourth woman in December 2020. The complainant came forward after the first set of charges against Partey were widely reported in the media. In the new counts, Partey is accused of twice raping the woman on the same day in London.
Partey was released on bail with the condition that he does not contact the fourth alleged victim, and is expected to appear in person at the April hearing at Southwark Crown Court.
The new charges add to a growing list of allegations against the midfielder. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charged Partey last year with five counts of rape involving two women and one count of sexual assault against a third woman, all relating to alleged incidents between 2021 and 2022 during his time at Arsenal. He has already entered not guilty pleas to all of those charges, and a full trial is set to begin at Southwark Crown Court on November 2, 2026.
Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 in a transfer worth approximately £45 million, and left the club when his contract expired in June 2025. He was formally charged four days after his departure and signed with Spanish club Villarreal CF the following month. He has made more than 50 appearances for the Ghana national team, including at the FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
He denies all charges against him.
