Ghana international and former Arsenal player, Thomas Partey, has started training with his new club Villarreal ahead of the 2025/26 season.

He joined the La Liga side on Thursday, August 7, as a free agent after finalising the move from Arsenal on June 30, 2025, after his contract expired.

His move to the Yellow Submarine side marks his return to Spain after leaving Atletico Madrid in 2020.

Less than 24 hours after completing his transfer, the Black Stars midfielder has already started training with his new teammates.

This comes amid the Ghanaian international's legal woes after facing rape charges just four days after he departed from Arsenal.

While concerns have been expressed about Villareal's deal with Partey as he has a pending case, the club, in reaction, issued a statement yesterday citing their respect for the player's insistence on his innocence.

They said, while they await the final verdict, they maintain their stance as strong advocates against acts of violence in all its forms, including gender-based violence, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, or any behaviour that undermines the dignity of individuals.”

“The club is aware that the player is currently involved in legal proceedings in England. The player firmly maintains his innocence and denies all charges against him. Villarreal CF respects the fundamental principle of the presumption of innocence and will await the outcome of the judicial process, which will be responsible for clarifying the facts of the case.

Due to the law in England in relation to ongoing proceedings, the club is unable to comment further. Villarreal wishes to reiterate its strong commitment to respect and diversity and firmly condemns any acts of violence in all its forms, including gender-based violence, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, or any behaviour that undermines the dignity of individuals.”

They went ahead to praise Partey for his stunning football skills, calling him a “complete midfielder with great stamina and exceptional physical attributes".

They highlighted his successful spells with Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, and the Ghana national team, where he earned over 50 caps.

Thomas Partey is currently facing six serious criminal charges in the UK. The charges were formally presented at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5. These charges have been levelled against him by three different women.

In one of the charges, Complainant 1 claims that, between April and May 2021, Partey penetrated her anally during what began as consensual vaginal intercourse, without her consent. She further claims that between April and June 2021, Partey engaged her in anal sex on on at least four separate occasions without her consent.

Complainant 2 also alleges that in December 2021, after she refused to engage in sexual activity, Partey raped her vaginally. She also claims that in February 2022, he penetrated her anally after she explicitly declined anal sex. A third allegation from Complainant 2 states that during a trip to Marbella, Spain, in June 2022, Partey raped her vaginally.

Complainant 3 also claims that in February 2022, Partey lay on top of her, attempted to kiss her, and touched her over her clothes without her consent.

However, the player has denied all the allegations levelled against him. His lawyer has denied the charges of rape and sexual assault against her client.

The statement issued by Partey's lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, noted:

“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."

The lawyer noted that as legal proceedings are ongoing, her client will not make any further comment on the matter.

Under UK law, rape and sexual assault are prosecuted under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which sets out clear definitions and penalties for these crimes.Rape is defined as intentional penile penetration of the vagina, anus, or mouth of another person without their consent and without a reasonable belief that they consent.

Sexual assault involves intentionally touching another person sexually without their consent.

In the case of Thomas Partey, if he is found guilty of the multiple counts of rape and sexual assault, especially involving multiple complainants and repeated offences, he could face a lengthy custodial sentence, potentially 15–25 years or more, depending on the court’s assessment of harm and culpability.

However, renowned sports journalist Dan Kwaku Yeboah has accused Premier League side Arsenal of playing a role in the rape charges brought against Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey.

According to him, the fact that the charges became public immediately after Partey’s contract renewal talks with the Gunners failed suggests that club officials may have influenced the timing of the revelation.

The Peace FM journalist also noted that the alleged incidents occurred in 2022 while Partey was still playing for Arsenal, yet the charges were only made public in 2025 after he left the club which he sees as another indication of the club’s involvement.

Speaking on Radio XYZ, Kwaku Yeboah stated that the charges could negatively impact Partey’s football career as clubs may hesitate to sign him until the case is resolved.

“With the way the charges surfaced, I believe the person who influenced Arsenal's decision not to extend Partey’s contract is behind this. At this point, it will reduce his market value and discourage interested clubs.

“They have decided to destroy his career. How could something that happened in 2022 be kept under wraps until he was out of the club? This is a calculated attempt,” he said.

He further criticised those urging men to be cautious around women, suggesting such advice can be hypocritical, given the temptations men face.

“People are advising him and other men to be careful, but that may be hypocritical. Men are moved by sight, so if a woman appears naked, it’s likely the man will be aroused,” he added.

Partey has made his mark both locally and internationally. In June, Thomas Partey once again won the Player of the Year award at the 2025 edition of the Ghana Football Awards.

He beat both Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth and Athletic Bilbao’s Inaki Williams to bag the award.This marked the third time the Ghanaian international has won the award, with the first and second bagged in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

According to reports, Partey won the award for his exceptional contributions to Arsenal and the Black Stars.