Thomas Partey

Thomas Partey cost Arsenal £45 million in 2020, making him the most expensive Ghanaian footballer ever. He won the Europa League and UEFA Super Cup with Atlético Madrid in 2018, and played for Ghana at the 2022 and 2026 World Cups.

Krobo Odumase to Madrid

Thomas Teye Partey was born in Krobo Odumase on 13 June 1993 and came through the local club Odometah. After a short spell at Leganés he joined Atlético Madrid in 2012. Loans at Mallorca (2013-14) and Almería (2014-15), where he scored twice against Granada, prepared him for Atlético's first team, and he debuted for them in November 2015. He was on the bench for the 2016 Champions League final and became a key midfielder under Diego Simeone.

Arsenal and after

He spent five seasons at Arsenal, playing 167 games and winning the 2023 Community Shield. He later played for Villarreal and now plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Shabab. For Ghana he has played at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and two World Cups, and was named in the CAF Team of the Year in 2018. He was Ghana Footballer of the Year in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2024-25.

Criminal case

In July 2025 the Crown Prosecution Service charged him with five counts of rape and one of sexual assault relating to alleged incidents in London, and two further rape charges followed in 2026. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts. A trial at Southwark Crown Court was set for 2 November 2026, though the judge warned it could slip to early 2027 after the cases were joined. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.