Official: 32-year-old former Arsenal midfielder Thomas joins Huang Qian

Villarreal officially announced that former Arsenal midfielder Thomas joined the team, but the two sides have not signed a contract due to criminal lawsuits faced by Thomas in the UK.

Huang Qiang said in his statement: The club is also aware that the player is currently involved in legal litigation in England. The player firmly advocated his innocence and denied all charges against him. The club respects the basic principle of presumption of innocence and will await the outcome of judicial proceedings to clarify the facts of the case. The club was unable to comment further due to restrictions on ongoing litigation by England law.

Villarreal official statement

Villarreal Football Club reached an agreement with Thomas that the Ghanaian player will join Huang Qian and participate in the 2025-26 season. Players will start joining the team at Club Sports City from tomorrow.

Thomas is a comprehensive midfielder with a wide coverage and excellent physical fitness. He is excellent in steals and is good at starting off the backcourt. He also has excellent mid-range shooting ability and can cross the defense in a dribble breakthrough. The experienced Ghana midfielder has made more than 50 appearances for the national team. In addition, he has played for Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Almeria and Mallorca.

In England, he won the 2023-24 Community Shield Championship with Arsenal; at Atletico Madrid, he won the 2020-21 La Liga championship, the 2018-19 European Super Cup championship and the 2017-18 Europa League championship.

On the other hand, the club learned that the player is currently involved in a judicial process in England. Thomas firmly defended his innocence and denied all charges against him. The club adheres to the principle of respecting the presumption of innocence and awaits the judiciary's ruling to clarify the facts of the relevant allegations.

In view of the UK's legal provisions regarding ongoing proceedings, the club will not comment further on the matter. Villarreal Football Club reiterates its firm commitment to respect and diversity and condemns any form of violence, including gender discrimination, racism, xenophobia or any act that undermines personal dignity.

Thomas has been granted conditional bail after being charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. Thomas' attorney previously said he "denied all allegations against him" and added that he welcomed "the opportunity to finally clarify his reputation."

Garner midfielder Thomas joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros in the summer window of 2020. He played for the Gunners for five years and scored 9 goals and 7 assists for the team.