Thomas Partey set for court as he nears Villarreal move
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is due to appear in court in London tomorrow on rape and sexual assault charges as he finalises a transfer to Spanish club Villarreal.
The 32-year-old Ghana international will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after being charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault last month. He denies the charges.
Partey was released by Arsenal after his contract expired at the end of June, days before he was charged by the Met Police. He had been under investigation for almost three years.
He is reported to have completed a medical at Villarreal and agreed personal terms on a one-year contract with the LaLiga club, who finished fifth last season.
Arsenal are set to host Villarreal in a friendly at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
Partey’s contract with Villarreal will contain the option to extend by another year and allow him to play in the Champions League next season.
Partey’s Villarreal move marks return to Spain
It sees him return to Spain, having spent eight years with Atlético Madrid before joining Arsenal for €50m (£45m) in 2020.
The midfielder was first arrested in July 2022, but was not named at the time and continued playing for the Gunners while investigations continued.
In a statement, Partey’s lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said: “Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him.
“He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation. He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta last month said that he was “100 per cent” confident that the club had followed the right process around Partey.
“The club was very clear in its statement,” said Arteta. “There are a lot of legal matters that are very complicated so I cannot comment on any of that.”
When asked about whether he felt the club followed the right processes, Arteta said: “100 per cent, yes.”