Miedema becomes City’s first summer recruit | OneFootball

Manchester City are delighted to announce the signing of Dutch international Vivianne Miedema on a three-year deal.

The 27-year-old forward makes the move to Manchester after seven seasons at Arsenal.

Miedema is the record goalscorer in Barclays Women’s Super League history and for the Netherlands, netting 80 and 95 times respectively for Club and country – more than any other player across both the women’s and men’s teams.

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She will wear the number six shirt and reunites with Dutch teammates Jill Roord and Kerstin Casparij.

WATCH: Vivianne Miedema signs for City!

Miedema said: “The reason I chose City is because they have the same ambitions as me. They want to win the league and titles.

“Looking to the future, I’ve always said I want to play with best players in the world and I think City have got that.

“I haven’t played as much football as I would have wished over the past two years, but I think and hope my best years are still to come. I hope I’m going to be able to help the team as much as I can do.

“I am just really excited to be part of the team and for the girls to hopefully help me and get me back to my best. If I get back to my best again then we can achieve really nice things together.”

“I do think this is the place to be right now. In the end, it was an easy choice for me. I want to challenge myself every day in training, but also every single week in the games we play.”

Head Coach Gareth Taylor added: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming Viv to City and seeing her flourish over the next three years.

“Our ambition is to compete on the highest stage and for the highest honours, and Viv is aligned to this desire.

"She’s a top talent that I’m excited to work with as she’s a player I’ve always admired. Viv will be a real asset to the team.”

Miedema will link up with her country for UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 qualifying matches against Italy and Norway before joining up with City for pre-season training at the end of July.

That includes joining the squad for the first-ever Perth International Football Cup in preparation for the 2024/25 season.

WATCH: Miedema on Roord conversations before City move

Record-breaker

All that’s needed to fully grasp the significance of City’s first acquisition this summer is a quick glance at the Barclays Women’s Super League record books.

The WSL’s all-time top goalscorer? Vivianne Miedema. The most goals in a single WSL season? Vivianne Miedema. The first to reach 50 goals? The first player to score against every WSL opponent? You get the picture.

In short, if there’s some form of goalscoring record it’s a safe bet that either Miedema or her new team-mate Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s name will be next to it.

But like the Jamaican, to brand Miedema as simply a goalscorer would be a disservice to everything else she brought to Arsenal and will now offer City.

Indeed, another impressive feat that the Dutch international can boast is that she was the first player in WSL history to register 100 goal contributions.

She reached that remarkable milestone in just 83 appearances, with 70 goals and 30 assists.

It’s a part of her game that Miedema has referenced in the past, describing herself as more of an attacking midfielder in 2019, while Arsenal and England legend Ian Wright also dubbed her the best striker and playmaker in world football three years later.

Whether Gareth Taylor opts to play her as a centre forward or in a more withdrawn role, it’s a tantalising prospect for City fans when considering the calibre of players she’ll link up with, whether creating or finishing the chances.

Miedema’s killer instinct in front of goal certainly shouldn’t be downplayed though.

The last of her 126 goals for Arsenal epitomised that quality, as the Gunners beat Brighton 5-0 on the final day of last season.

With a clever piece of movement between the Seagulls’ centre-halves creating the chance, Miedema swept Beth Mead’s ball in behind back across goal and beyond the onrushing Sophie Baggaley without breaking stride.

It was a textbook strike from the forward, and an exciting indication of what’s to come now she’s switched from red to sky blue.

Honours:

Bayern Munich [2014-17]Bundesliga: 2014/15, 2015/16

Arsenal [2017-2024]FA WSL: 2018/19FA WSL Cup/FA Women's League Cup: 2017/18, 2022/23, 2023/24

Netherlands [2013-present]UEFA Women's Championship: 2017

IndividualFA WSL Golden Boot: 2018/19, 2019/20FIFA Women's World Cup All-Star Squad: 2019PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year: 2018–19FWA Women's Footballer of Year: 2019–20FIFA FIFPro Women's World11: 2020, 2021BBC Women's Footballer of the Year: 2021PFA Team of the Year: 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22