Beth Mead to depart Arsenal after nine years as summer exodus gathers pace

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Evening Standard

·11 de mayo de 2026

Beth Mead to depart Arsenal after nine years as summer exodus gathers pace

No9 leaves a legend after nine brilliant years and joins ever-growing list of players departing north London this season

Beth Mead will leave Arsenal this summer, calling time on a decorated nine-season spell with the club.

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The legendary striker moved to north London from Sunderland in 2017 as a highly rated young talent, two years after becoming the WSL’s youngest-ever Golden Boot winner at 20.

Her stay with the club has wrought plenty of silverware. She played a key role in the 2018-19 WSL triumph and impressed throughout the Gunners’ triumphant 2024-25 Champions League campaign, also scoring seven goals en route to England’s European titles in 2022 and 2025.

Mead has played a reduced role this season, though, as she fell below the prolific Alessia Russo in the pecking order and suffered various injuries.

Beth Mead helped Arsenal win the Champions League last season

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

She has produced just seven goal involvements - two goals and five assists - in 19 appearances for an Arsenal side on track to finish second in the WSL.

Arsenal have now confirmed that this season will be the striker’s last with the club as she is set to leave the Emirates as a free agent upon the expiry of her contract this summer.

Arsenal are expected to overhaul their ageing squad with younger talent this summer to facilitate a renewed WSL title charge. The Gunners are looking to kick off a new era after tying Renee Slegers down to a new three-and-a-half-year contract in January.

Mead follows two more team-mates, Victoria Pelova and Laia Codina in departing the Emirates.

Victoria Pelova and Laia Codina will both join Beth Mead in leaving Arsenal this summer

Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Netherlands international Pelova made 87 appearances for the club since signing in January 2023, while defender Codina tallied 58 after joining the following summer. All three players depart as free agents.

Speaking exclusively to Standard Sport last October, Mead said her sights were set on representing England at next summer’s World Cup: “It is exciting times ahead. Ultimately, there is a World Cup there to go and win. We want to do that.

“We haven’t done that before. We have the ability to be able to go there and do that, but now we have got to put it into action. These next few years are going to be super important in that.”