Barcelona, PSG & NWSL clubs interested in Vivianne Miedema
Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are interested in signing Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema in the summer, with the Dutch international’s future currently uncertain.
Miedema is one of the best goalscorers in the world, ranked only behind Chelsea duo Sam Kerr and Fran Kirby in 90min’s list of the top 10 best WSL players of 2021.
Last year, she became the WSL’s all-time leading goalscorer, despite only arriving in the league in 2017, and has considerably raised the bar during her time in England.
But Miedema is keen for success at the very highest level. She was clear in December when she said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph that she wants to win the Champions League and wouldn’t hesitate to move on if she feels that Arsenal will fall short on delivering that.
Miedema considers the Gunners ‘capable’ and in her own words would ‘love to stay’, but was refreshingly open when she declared, “…if I feel like the club is not going in the right direction then sadly enough I’d probably have to move to win the Champions League somewhere else.”
In the same interview, 25-year-old admitted that standards had been let slip at Arsenal over the previous decade and only now is the club moving in the right direction. She said that a blistering start to the season had impressed her, but it is worth mentioning that the Gunners are currently in a slump and have lost four of their last five games in all competitions.
Miedema, who was also linked with Lyon last summer at the same time as Arsenal were negotiating a deal with the French club for Nikita Parris, has seen first hand this season the still sizeable gulf in class between the Gunners and Barcelona in two heavy Champions League defeats.
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The latest from the Daily Telegraph describes Barça, alongside reigning French champions PSG, as ‘two of the leading contenders’ to land the player. Other un-named NWSL clubs in the United States are also said to be in the mix, although no offers from any suitors have yet been put forward.
Miedema has been described as a ‘priority’ target for Barcelona, although their recruitment in that area of the pitch could yet be shaped by whether Jennifer Hermoso, who finished second in the Ballon d’Or Feminin rankings at the end of 2021, stays at the club.
Arsenal are not expected to entertain letting any players go during the remainder of the January transfer window, but their efforts to sign Sweden international striker Stina Blackstenius, who had earlier look set to join Manchester United, suddenly look very sensible.
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