WSL: Victoria Pelova departs Arsenal and joins North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur have announced the signing of Dutch international Victoria Pelova following the expiry of her Arsenal contract.

The 27-year-old midfielder joins the Lilywhites after a three-and-a-half year tenure with former European Champions Arsenal. Pelova joined the Gunners in January 2023 and quickly became a force to be reckoned.

Having partnered with Kim Little and Lia Wälti, the Dutch international quickly settled into the physical nature of the Women’s Super League and featured 21 times in the second half of the campaign, bagging her first goal for the club in just her second appearance.

She also provided six assists and added silverware to her cabinet as the Gunners won the Conti Cup against Chelsea. The following season was much the same, with the Dutchwoman providing eight goal contributions and once again winning the Conti Cup.

“It feels nice to be here, I had a lovely welcome from everyone,” said Pelova upon her signing. “When I had conversations with Martin [Ho], he was so good. It felt immediately right to go to Spurs and I’m so happy to be here.”

The midfielder will be a strong signing for Tottenham who have announced several summer arrivals in previous weeks. Alongside the Pelova, the club have signed Kirsty Hanson, who is fresh off the back of her most prolific season, as well as Shekiera Martinez from West Ham.

“Victoria is a brilliant signing for us and someone who brings real quality, intelligence and top-level experience into our team,” said Spurs Head Coach Martin Ho.

“She understands what it takes to perform in high-pressure environments. What excites us is not only what she has already shown in her career, but also the belief we have have that there is still much more to evolve in her game.”

Victoria Pelova’s return from injury

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An unfortunate ACL injury in June 2024 kept her out of action until March 2025. A welcomed return saw her come back to the squad that made history as Arsenal won their second UEFA Women’s Champions League title in May. Despite her return, the midfielder saw limited minutes throughout the year and decided to take up a new challenge in one of the top flight’s most exciting projects.

Spurs, who achieved their highest points tally last season, will benefit hugely from Pelova’s wealth of experience both domestically and internationally. She began her career in her native Netherlands at ADO Den Haag, and at just 18, she finished second in the club goalscoring charts for the season. She then signed the Ajax in the Eredivisie, where she played alongside Caitlin Dijkstra and Lize Kop, who she will link up again with in the white of Spurs.

On the international stage, Pelova has 71 caps to her name alongside several major tournament appearances. She featured in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, before playing in two European Championships and two World Cups, including the 2019 edition where the Netherlands cam runners-up to the United States.

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