In a surprising turn of events, Arsenal has made the decision to part ways with Vivianne Miedema, a move that has left former Gunners striker Ellen White in shock and outrage. Miedema, who holds the record for the most goals scored in the Women’s Super League with an impressive tally of 79, will be leaving the club when her contract expires at the end of the season.
Miedema’s contributions to Arsenal’s success cannot be understated. She played a crucial role in their WSL title win in the 2018-19 season and was awarded the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Since joining the Gunners from Bayern Munich in 2017, she has netted an impressive 125 goals and provided 50 assists in 172 appearances across all competitions.
However, Miedema’s playing time has been limited this season due to a series of injuries. She underwent knee surgery in March after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in December 2022, which kept her out of action for 10 months.
Rumors have already begun circulating about Miedema’s next destination, with Manchester City being linked to the Netherlands star. White, for one, believes that Arsenal will come to regret their decision to let her go.
“I think it’s an absolutely shocking decision by the club, to be honest,” White expressed her disbelief on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Women’s Football Weekly.
She further added, “I just think it’s shocking that they haven’t shown her the love to want to keep her at the club. 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. It’s just outrageous. She is not going to be short of offers.”
The departure of Miedema will undoubtedly leave a void in Arsenal’s attacking lineup. Only time will tell if the club’s decision will prove to be a costly mistake or if they have a plan in place to fill the void left by their star striker.
