Thomas Partey has left European football behind for the Saudi Pro League, signing for Al Shabab as a free agent after his one-year stint at Villarreal was allowed to run down.
Al Shabab confirmed the move via their official channels, with the Ghanaian midfielder putting pen to paper on a one-year deal.
Partey made 25 La Liga appearances for Villarreal last season, starting eight of them, after joining as a free transfer from Arsenal in the summer of 2025, but the LaLiga side chose not to extend his stay once that contract expired.
The 33-year-old will link up with several familiar faces in Riyadh, including former Premier League players Josh Brownhill and Daniel Podence, as well as ex-Atlético Madrid teammate Yannick Carrasco.
Partey continues to face rape and sexual assault charges in England relating to alleged incidents involving multiple women between 2021 and 2022, allegations he denies in full. His trial at Southwark Crown Court, originally scheduled for 2026, has been pushed back and is now due to begin in June 2027.
The case affected his availability at this summer's World Cup, where a UK-related immigration issue tied to the ongoing proceedings prevented him from featuring in Ghana's group game against Panama, though he did start the Black Stars' other three matches before their round-of-32 exit.
Before his move to Arsenal in autumn 2020, Partey spent close to a decade at Atlético Madrid, making 188 appearances and winning the Europa League in 2018 as well as a La Liga title. He went on to make 167 appearances for Arsenal across five seasons, scoring nine goals, and has earned 60 caps for Ghana, scoring 15 times.
Al Shabab described the arrival of Partey as a coup for the Saudi Pro League, calling him a "legend" in their announcement, as the club continues to build a squad stocked with experienced names from Europe's top leagues.
The move keeps Partey playing regularly at a time when he is still fighting to preserve his place in Ghana's midfield, with the Black Stars looking to build on their World Cup campaign heading into the next set of qualifiers.