Premier League club of arrested player knew of rape allegation last autumn

The Premier League club of the footballer arrested on Monday on suspicion of rape was made aware of a rape allegation against the player last autumn, the Guardian understands.

The player, who is not being named for legal reasons, continued to play in the first team last season. The club declined to comment.

The alleged rape was reported to the Metropolitan police last August. In March the force opened an investigation into that and another alleged rape by the player of the same woman that she had reported in February.

Scotland Yard said in a statement to the Guardian on Friday: “An allegation of rape was reported to the Metropolitan Police Service in August 2021. This alleged offence happened outside the UK and the MPS transferred the report to the complainant’s home force to proceed with as appropriate and support the complainant as is standard practice.

“In February 2022 the complainant made a further report to the MPS about an alleged offence of rape committed in London. The MPS carried out inquiries to establish if it had legal jurisdiction to investigate the allegations both abroad and in London.

“Once jurisdiction was confirmed, the MPS began investigating both matters in March 2022. Detailed inquiries continue along with specialist support for the complainant.”

The player was taken into custody by the Metropolitan police in the early hours of Monday after a different women told police she had been raped by the player last month. On Tuesday the player was released on bail until August.

A statement from the Metropolitan police on Tuesday read: “On 4 July, an allegation of rape of a woman in her 20s was reported to police. It was reported the alleged rape happened in June 2022. On 4 July, a 29-year-old man was arrested at an address in Barnet on suspicion of rape and taken into custody.

“While in custody, he was further arrested on suspicion of two incidents of rape that were alleged to have been committed in April and June of 2021 against a different woman in her 20s. He has subsequently been released on bail to a date in August. Inquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.”