Former Arsenal and current Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey is facing two additional counts of rape in the United Kingdom, widening an already serious criminal case that now involves allegations from four women.

Prosecutors confirmed that the latest charges relate to a new complainant and follow a separate report made to London’s Metropolitan Police. Detectives reopened lines of inquiry after the woman came forward, focusing on an alleged incident dating back to 2020, shortly after Partey’s move to the Premier League.

The Ghana international had previously been charged with five counts of rape involving two women, alongside one count of sexual assault against a third woman. The new complainant brings the total number of alleged victims to four and increases the number of rape counts to seven.

Partey is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for an initial hearing, where the fresh charges will be formally put to him. He has consistently denied all allegations. At an earlier appearance at Southwark Crown Court, he entered not guilty pleas to the original indictment and was granted conditional bail while awaiting trial.

According to prosecutors, the alleged offences in the first set of charges are said to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, during Partey’s spell at Arsenal. Police began investigating in early 2022 after receiving an initial rape complaint, which led to his arrest and subsequent charging once sufficient evidence was deemed to have been gathered.

A trial, expected to be heard before a High Court judge, is scheduled to begin on 2 November. Legal observers say the addition of new complainants and charges could complicate the proceedings, potentially affecting the length and structure of the trial, though any decision on severing or consolidating counts will rest with the trial judge.

Partey left Arsenal at the end of his contract and later signed a one-year deal with Spanish club Villarreal. The move was completed after the first set of charges had been brought, placing his future in elite football under intense scrutiny as the case progresses.

Partey’s lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, has previously stated that her client “strenuously denies” all allegations and intends to use the court process to clear his name. Under UK law, he remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.