Ex-Arsenal player Thomas Partey will deny two more rape charges

Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey is set to deny two new rape allegations.

Partey was not in court at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday as deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram dealt with the preliminary stages of the case.

The footballer did not attend the hearing, but his lawyer Emma Fenn stated that he intends to plead guilty to both charges, which relate to a woman in December 2020.

The 32-year-old man previously appeared at Southwark Crown Court last year to deny five charges of rape against two other women and a charge of sexual assault against a third.

These alleged offenses occurred between 2021 and 2022, while he was playing for the Premier League club.

The court heard on Friday that two new rape allegations had come to light after the initial accusations emerged.

Prosecutor Arabella MacDonald told the court: “Mr Partey faces two further rape charges dating back to December 2020.

“The complainant came forward after news of Mr Partey’s other matters became widely publicised.”

Judge Ikram sent two new rape charges, relating to a fourth alleged victim, to the crown court for a hearing on April 10.

A hearing on the initial charges is scheduled for Nov. 2.

Partey, who previously gave his address as Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 in a transfer worth around £45 million. He left the team last year and currently plays for Spanish club Villarreal.

The Ghanaian midfielder made 35 appearances in the Premier League for the North London club last season and scored four goals.

He played more than 50 games for Ghana, including the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.

An Arsenal spokesman previously said: “The player’s contract expired on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings the club is unable to comment on the case.”