Former Arsenal FC midfielder Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to two additional allegations of rape.
The 32-year-old appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, where he denied accusations of twice raping a woman in London in December 2020.
Partey, who joined Villarreal CF after leaving Arsenal last summer, had previously been charged in July last year with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
Those charges relate to alleged incidents involving multiple women between 2021 and 2022.
He has also entered not guilty pleas to the earlier charges, bringing the total to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four women.
During Monday’s proceedings, Judge Tony Baumgartner, Recorder of Westminster, ruled that all allegations will be tried together.
The trial, initially scheduled for November, could now be postponed until January 2027 due to the new charges.
Partey, dressed in dark grey trousers, a black jumper over a white shirt, and black shoes, spoke briefly in court to confirm his identity and enter his pleas.
He had not attended a previous hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, though his legal representative indicated at the time that not guilty pleas would be submitted.
The Ghana international remains on bail, with conditions including no contact with the alleged victims as legal proceedings continue.
