UPDATE: Vivianne Miedema joined Manchester City as a free agent on a three year deal.
Something we could all feel coming, but now club and player confirmed: Vivianne Miedema is leaving Arsenal at the end of the season. At first it was unclear whether Arsenal simply did not offer her another contract or if Miedema herself decided it was time for a change.
It now seems that the decision was mutual, as Miedema needed something different in order to get out of football what she wants. The Dutch international had a rough two years, especially due to her ACL-injury. She made her comeback, but needed another couple surgeries to sort her knee out. It is clear now that we will not see her next season at the Gunners.
Vivianne Miedema’s career
The Dutch forward has had a very impressive career so far. She is easily one of the best strikers in women’s football and scored the most goals for the Oranje Leeuwinnen. In 2021 she won BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year and earned herself a couple Player of the Year awards. Miedema was also in the Top 10 of The Guardians The 100 Best Female Footballers in the World in 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Starting out in Friesland
Miedema started her professional football career with sc Heerenveen, a Dutch football club in Friesland. As a 145 year old she would make her debut in the Vrouwen Eredivisie against FC Utrecht. In that very season she scored 10 goals in 17 games for the club. From that moment Miedema only improved. The next season she scored 27 goals in 26 games, being the best in the league by far with 15 goals more than the nearest player.
Leveling up in Germany
The Dutch competition is fine, but it is nothing compared to the Frauen Bundesliga back then. 39 different clubs tried to sign Miedema and Bayern MĂĽnchen was the one that succeeded. Her first season with Bayern was quite successful, but she did suffer an ankle injury. 4 months later she came back to the pitch and finished the season with another 7 goals. She was unstoppable.
Bayern tried to keep Miedema after three seasons, but the player wasn’t really happy at the club. She overcame the language barrier, but the play style didn’t really suit her. So after the negotiations failed, it was time for Miedema to leave. Her next club: Arsenal.
7 magical years with the Gunners
In May 2017 Miedema moved to Arsenal. Right the next season she scored her first goal and showed everyone what she was capable of. In the 2018-2019 season the striker not only scored a hat-trick, but she also ended her WSL season with 22 goals and Women’s Player of the Year.
Fast forward a couple seasons, in 2020 Miedema doubled her goals by ending the season with 50. She was the first female player to do so. Her and Ellen White than held a nice little contest of who scored the most every season. This went back and forth quite a bit.
Miedema has always been a player that other clubs would keep an eye on. In 2022 she extended with the Gunners, but was also in talks with FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. 7 months after signing her new contract, Miedema ruptured her ACL. She would not be back on the pitch until the 22nd of October 2023, but needed more surgery in 2024.
Fans expected Arsenal to extend with the player, but today, the 13th of May 2024, we finally know that Arsenal and Miedema are not renewing the contract.
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