Ex-Arsenal star and former Barcelona target drops huge 'Champions League' transfer hint

Earlier this month, Arsenal star Vivianne Miedema announced she would be leaving the Gunners once her contract expired this summer. The Netherlands striker did not receive a contract extension and will now leave as a free agent but at 27-years-old, the WSL icon has reminded fans and clubs that she has no intention of making ‘a step down’.

The last 18 months for Miedema have been hampered by injury problems. In December 2022, the Dutch footballer sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury, just a month after her partner Beth Mead went down on the pitch with the same injury. While Miedema was able to make a brief return to the squad earlier this year, she was then once again ruled out after requiring minor knee surgery at the beginning of March.

However, before her injury woes, the 27-year-old was one of the most rampant forces in the game and she has been quick to remind potential suitors she is hungry for more. Speaking to DAZN before Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Lyon in the UEFA Champions League final, Miedema said on her future: “I wish I could (tell), but I can’t. I’m only 27, and I think the Champions League is the only thing missing, so I’m definitely not going to make a step down. And I’m really excited for whatever comes next.”

Manchester City had been linked with a move for the departing Arsenal star however Miedema’s recent comments seem to indicate a wish to reignite interest from 2024 UEFA Champions League winners Barcelona.

In May 2022, it was reported Miedema had rejected interest from Barca as she opted to extend her contract with the Gunners. However, now a free agent and a desire to add the UWCL to her long list of accolades, it appears the 27-year-old forward is prompting the side with three Champions League trophies in the past four years that she is now available.

Having moved to Arsenal in 2017, Miedema has made over 100 WSL appearances, scoring 80 goals in the process. Among her many awards she’s accumulated are the PFA Women’s Players’ Player of the Year; FWA Women’s Footballer of the Year; two FA WSL Golden Boot awards as well as three WSL Player of the Month awards.

While her next steps are currently unknown, the Women’s Championship winner and 2019 World Cup runner-up will not be short of options for the 2024/25 season and with both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain having previously shown interest, it seems highly conceivable Manchester City are set to face fierce competition for her signature his summer.