Georgia Stanway set to join Arsenal on free transfer

Arsenal are set to pull off one of the standout moves of the summer, with Georgia Stanway poised to join the club on a free transfer from Bayern Munich at the start of July.

The deal is agreed in principle and hinges only on the 27-year-old passing a medical, clearing the way for one of the most influential midfielders in the women’s game to return to England once her contract with the Frauen Bundesliga champions expires.

Stanway’s arrival would be a statement of intent. A driving force for both club and country, she has spent four trophy-laden years in Munich, helping Bayern to four Bundesliga titles and becoming a cornerstone of their dominance. Her departure, confirmed by Bayern in January, closes a chapter that has seen her evolve from promising talent to fully-fledged leader in one of Europe’s toughest leagues.

Her international record underlines the scale of Arsenal’s move. Stanway has scored 32 goals in 91 appearances for England, anchoring the sides that claimed back-to-back European titles and pushed all the way to the 2023 World Cup final. Few central midfielders in world football combine her engine, bite in the tackle and knack for decisive moments.

Before Bayern, she was woven into the fabric of Manchester City’s midfield, a player trusted in big games and embraced by supporters. In Germany she earned the same affection. Bayern’s director of women’s football, Bianca Rech, hailed her “commitment and character” in January, admitting Stanway had “stolen our hearts” and revealing that conversations about her future had been open and honest as the club accepted her desire to seek a new challenge.

That challenge now lies in north London. Arsenal have tracked Stanway for several years, long before last season’s Champions League final triumph, and had already earmarked her as a key piece in their long-term reshaping of the midfield. The aim is clear: build a side capable of wrestling the WSL title back to Meadow Park for the first time since 2019.

And Stanway is unlikely to be the only new face.

Arsenal are close to finalising another free transfer, with Géraldine Reuteler set to arrive after her departure from Eintracht Frankfurt. The Switzerland international, who can operate as an attacking midfielder or across the front line, leaves Germany with an impressive record: 54 goals and 45 assists in 184 appearances for Frankfurt, including 10 goals this season alone. She was one of the standout performers for the host nation at last summer’s European Championship, a player who thrives on responsibility and big stages.

Those incoming deals come against the backdrop of a significant clear-out. Arsenal have confirmed that Beth Mead, Katie McCabe, Victoria Pelova, Laia Codina and goalkeepers Manuela Zinsberger and Naomi Williams will all leave the club this summer, a sweeping overhaul that rips out much of the side’s recent core.

It is a bold reset. Established names out, prime-age internationals in. With Stanway ready to marshal the midfield and Reuteler offering incision higher up the pitch, Arsenal are not just refreshing a squad — they are reshaping the spine of a team that expects to challenge for everything.