Arsenal Women announced on Monday 13th May that Arsenal legend and all-time WSL top scorer, Vivianne Miedema, would be leaving the club at the end of her contract this season. What a furore this announcement has caused as many fans, reporters and pundits alike struggle to apply any logic to this decision. Former Gunner and retired Euro 2022 winning Lioness, Ellen White, is one such person.
“I think it’s an absolutely shocking decision by the club to be honest,” White told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Women’s Football Weekly.
“To not offer her a new contract, to not show her love and desire to keep her at the club, to not build a team around Vivianne Miedema.”
Miedema joined Arsenal 7 years ago, at 20 years of age, and is the all-time top-scorer in the Women’s Super League with 79 goals and has scored 125 in total and provided 50 assists in 172 appearances for Arsenal. 175 goals and assists in 172 appearances is beyond phenomenal in my opinion.. Miedema won the Women’s Super League title in 2018-19 and three Women’s League Cups during her time in north London. She has also lifted the Golden Boot – the award for the most goals scored in a single season – twice. So why are Arsenal letting her go and could this decision come back to bite them?
“I just think it’s shocking that they haven’t shown her the love to want to keep her at the club,” added White.
Manchester City are reported to be very eager to sign Miedema and I agree with Ellen’s comment here.
“If she does want to go to someone else in the WSL, I hope she goes to that team and sticks two fingers up at Arsenal and scores a few goals and celebrates hard.
“She is 27. If she wants to continue to play she could play for a number of years and she still has records to break. It’s just outrageous.
“She is not going to be short of offers. I hope she has got loads of offers. Her being on a free you would hope she would then get the contract that she deserves.”
Aston Villa and Scotland captain Rachel Corsie agreed with White, saying news of Miedema’s departure “has shocked a lot of people”.
“I think a lot of people are surprised purely because she might go on to a rival team. I think Arsenal fans will hope that it doesn’t come back to bite them.”
I’m still reeling from this decision by Arsenal, so must the rest of the squad be, not least of all her partner Beth Mead – if Miedema is not treated with the respect she deserves, what chance does any other player have?
How are you coping Gooners?
Michelle M
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There is better be a sensible reason for this.
I have already commented on this. If the club didn’t offer her a new contract and assuming she was happy to stay, then it is nothing short of lunacy. Letting the best womens striker since Kelly Smith go on a free should and probably will come back to haunt them especially if she goes to Chelsea. Nothing against Blackstenius, but Miedema is in a different league, she is simply world class!!!
OT, I sometimes wonder why there are so few comments on Arsenal Women articles. They were always the team to look up to and in my opinion were the forerunners of the women’s game in the UK and now fully deserve to have the Emirates as their shared home. Shame about Viv though and I hope Beth doesn’t follow her. COYWG!!!
I have said a few times that judging by the way Arsenal does things, how the management makes decisions, there is a systemic problem within the organisation.
Have been trying not to be too critical of the club decision by trying to see any sort of logic in that decision but can’t find one. .. only the usual ” they knew more than I do”
I wonder if the plan is to build the women’s team so it’s more of a diverse attacking unit not focused around one player. A team with a lot of runners and a bunch of players posting 8+ goals a season. At least, that’s my copium. I want her to stay!!