Why Partey will still appear on Premier League trading cards for 2025/26 season despite rape charges

By Emmanuel Austin Baah Last updated Jul 30, 2025

Former Arsenal player Thomas Partey will appear as an official Premier League trading card this season – despite being unemployed and accused of rape.

Partey’s inclusion in the cards manufactured by Topps was approved by Arsenal earlier this season despite the fact they knew he was under investigation, sources have confirmed to Mail Sport.

Earlier this month, Partey was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. That was after Arsenal had given the green light for his inclusion.

The 32-year-old is accused of attacking three women between 2021 and 2022. His charges followed a three-year investigation by Scotland Yard and they arrived just five days after he left Arsenal on June 30.

He denies the allegations and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5.

The player list for the next season of Topps cards was finalised in May, when Arsenal were still negotiating over a potential new contract with Partey.

Thomas Partey will feature on the official Premier League trading cards for 2025-26 (as seen on his 2023-24 card)

In the first instance, players are selected based on factors including the minutes they played last campaign, their duration at the club, and whether they play international football.

Arsenal approved Partey as part of their list of stars despite not knowing whether he would be at the club.

More than 60 players were released by their clubs and Partey is just one of three who remains in the collection, for which production, packaging, and distribution has already started.

Author

Emmanuel Austin Baah

My name is Emmanuel Austin Baah, professionally known as “Okocha”. I am a seasoned Ghanaian journalist, broadcaster and football commentator from Senya Bereku in the Central Region. My work reflects a strong commitment to factual reporting, ethical journalism and the continuous promotion of Ghanaian sports.

I am currently pursuing my studies at Cape Coast Technical University, building on a solid foundation of media practice and communication. I previously served as a sports producer at Radio Gold (90.5) and Montie FM (100.1) in Accra, where I was actively involved in editorial planning, programme production, live commentary and in-depth sports analysis.

Presently, I am a Senior Writer at SportsNetGhana.com, a role in which I produce well-researched features, match reports, athlete profiles and analytical pieces. My work consistently highlights emerging talents, captures key sporting developments and contributes to shaping informed sports discourse in Ghana.

Over the course of my career, I have covered numerous major sporting events both locally and internationally. Among these, the highlight remains my coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, a significant milestone that strengthened my expertise in global football reporting and enhanced my understanding of international sports dynamics.

I am widely recognised for my clarity of analysis, engaging commentary style and strong command of both local and global football trends. Beyond the newsroom, I participate in community initiatives aimed at developing young sports journalists and promoting youth engagement in sports.

For professional engagements, media collaborations or enquiries, please contact me on 0265284330.

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