Thomas Partey signs for Al Shabab after leaving Villarreal

Thomas Partey has signed for Saudi Pro League side Al Shabab, the club announced on Friday.

The Saudi club revealed the transfer on social media, calling Partey a "legend" and saying the move "just feels right."

The Ghanaian midfielder was a free agent having left Villarreal after one year at the Spanish club.

He joined the Yellow Submarine from Arsenal, where he spent five seasons and made 167 appearances, scoring nine times.

An Atlético Madrid youth player, Partey made 188 appearances for Diego Simeone's side and was part of the team which won the Europa League in 2018.

Despite joining Arsenal early in the 2020-21 season, Partey made enough appearances at the beginning of the season to also be awarded a medal for Atleti's LaLiga triumph that year.

He has made 60 appearances for his country -- scoring 15 goals -- but was at the centre of controversy at this summer's World Cup as he was denied entry into Canada due to ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK.

Partey was charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in London between 2020 and 2022.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Originally set for November at Southwark Crown Court, Partey's trial on rape charges was pushed back to start on June 8, 2027.

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The 33-year-old was able to start each of Ghana's other three matches at the tournament -- including the 0-0 draw with England and the 1-0 defeat to Colombia which saw the Black Stars eliminated at the round of 32 stage.

At Al Shabab, he will join fellow ex-Premier League players Josh Brownhill and Daniel Podence, as well as his former teammate at Atlético, Yannick Carrasco.