Partey trial start date delayed to June 2027

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey's trial on rape charges will now not start until June next year, a judge has ruled.The 32-year-old Ghanaian faces allegations of rape and sexual assault by four different women, who accuse him over incidents between 2020 and 2022.He was originally due to face the charges in a trial at Southwark Crown Court in November.But on Thursday, Mr Justice Bennathan agreed to a delay and ordered that the trial - due to last up to eight weeks - will now start on June 8, 2027.Partey, who left Arsenal for Villarreal last summer, was charged in July last year with five counts of rape and one allegation of sexual assault, dating back to 2021 and 2022.In February this year, it was announced that Partey had been charged with two additional rape allegations dating back to December 2020.The footballer has appeared previously in the dock to plead not guilty to all charges - seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.The midfielder, who previously lived in Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 in a transfer worth around £45m, before he left the club in June last year.He is expected to face England in the World Cup this summer, as a part of the Ghana national side.Partey is on bail during the legal proceedings, with a condition that he does not contact alleged victims.The next hearing in his case has been set for October 2.