Thomas Partey nears Villarreal deal as England court grants provisional bail on rape, sexual assault charges

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is set to finalize a move to Villarreal in a matter of days, a source close to negotiations has told CBS Sports.

Partey appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Tuesday for his first hearing after being charged with five counts of rape and one of sexual assault. The charges relate to three women and incidents alleged to have taken place in 2021 and 2022. Partey denies all the charges. At the hearing Partey was granted provisional bail, meaning he must notify the court if he is changing address, or undertaking international travel among other restrictions.

The 32-year-old was charged on July 4, days after he had left Arsenal on the expiry of his contract. He is now close to a return to football and is expected to be formally unveiled as a Villarreal player in the coming days. Partey has completed his medical and agreed to terms on a two-year deal, according to sources.

Partey had also attracted interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia, but a move to Villarreal affords him the chance to play in the Champions League next summer. The Ghana international spent eight years in Spain prior to his move to Arsenal, initially joining Leganes before joining Atletico Madrid with brief spells on loan at Mallorca and Almeria.

Partey was first arrested in July 2022 with the charges brought against him last month the culmination of a more than three year investigation by the Metropolitan Police. The midfielder continued to play for Arsenal through to the conclusion of his contract and talks were held over an extension to the terms he initially signed on joining the club in the summer of 2020. Partey left having played 167 games for the north London club.