Premier League footballer arrested on suspicion of rape

29-year-old taken in by police from address in Barnet

Premier League has been hit with several sexual assualt scandals in recent years (PA)

An international footballer who plays in the Premier League has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of rape.

Metropolitan Police arrested a 29-year-old man at an address in Barnet, London, on Monday after receiving a report of a rape of a woman in her 20s.

Officers said the incident was alleged to have happened in June and they were continuing to investigate the circumstances.

The man arrested could not be named for legal reasons.

Police said in a statement: “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 where he remains.”

The Daily Telegraph reported that it understood the man to be a Premier League footballer who was due to play in the Qatar World Cup in November.

His arrest made it unclear whether he would play in his club’s pre-season fixtures which start next week ahead of the first match of the 2022/23 Premier League season on 5 August. The player’s position in upcoming international matches was also left in doubt.