Football: Ghana star Partey charged with rape in UK

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape in the United Kingdom. The Ghanaian international denies any wrongdoing.

Ghanaian international soccer player Thomas Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual abuse, police in the United Kingdom said on Friday.

Partey, whose contract with Premier League club Arsenal expired on Monday, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on August 5.

What else do we know about the charges against Partey?

The charges against the 32-year-old footballer have been brought by three women and refer to incidents which allegedly took place between 2021 and 2022.

British police said they had been investigating since February 2022.

"Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward," said Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of London's Metropolitan Police. "We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team."

Partey's laywer, Jenny Wiltshire, said her client "denies all charges against him" and had "cooperated fully" with police.

"He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name," she added.

Thomas Partey: from Accra to Atletico to Arsenal

Defensive midfielder Partey was born and grew up in the town of Krobo Odumase, just outside Accra, the capital of Ghana.

He moved to Spain in 2012 where he went on to make 188 appearances for Atletico Madrid, scoring 16 goals and winning the Europa League in 2018. He received a La Liga winners medal in 2021 despite having moved to Arsenal earlier in the season for €50 million (around $59 million).

He made 167 appearances for the North London club, scoring nine goals as Arsenal finished second in the Premier League for the last three seasons.

Partey made his international debut for Ghana in June 2016 and has since played 53 times for the Black Stars, scoring 15 goals and being named Ghanaian player of the year in 2017 and 2018.

Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah