What next? Midfielder's career hangs on outcome of court case

For the first time since Thomas Partey left his home town of Krobo Odumase in eastern Ghana at the age of 11, he woke on Tuesday without a club. Three days later the midfielder, who had departed Arsenal after his contract expired, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

- Ed Aarons

What happens next with Partey's career will be determined by the outcome of legal proceedings scheduled to start with his appearance at Westminster magistrates court on 5 August. The allegations relate to three women who reported incidents between 2021 and 2022. Partey denies all the charges and "welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name", his lawyer said.

Partey, 32, had been linked with moves to Spain, Turkey and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks after talks over extending his Arsenal contract hit an impasse, even though Arsenal's manager, Mikel Arteta, had insisted in May that he wanted him to stay. "Consistency-wise it's been his best season," Arteta said. "The way he's played, performed, his availability, has been exceptional and he's a really important player for us."