Manchester City left back Benjamin Mendy has been charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, police said Thursday.
The 27-year-old Mendy was suspended by City pending an investigation.
"The charges relate to three complainants over the age of 16 and are alleged to have taken place between October 2020 and August 2021," Cheshire Police said in a statement.
Mendy was to remain in police custody overnight and is due to appear in court on Friday, police said.
Mendy's agent did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Mendy joined City from Monaco in 2017 and has won the Premier League three times and the English League Cup twice.
He played against Tottenham on the opening weekend of the Premier League season but didn't feature against Norwich on Saturday.
Published 26 August 2021, 17:34 IST