Beth Mead Leaves Arsenal After Nine Seasons, Arsenal Confirms Summer Exit

Beth Mead will leave Arsenal after nine seasons, with the 31-year-old making her decision public in an emotional video posted on the club’s official website.

Mead, who joined Arsenal from Sunderland in 2017, has scored 86 goals in 263 appearances during nine seasons and helped the north London club win a Women’s Super League, three League Cups, the FIFA Champions Cup and the Women’s Champions League.

Arsenal

In her message, Mead said: "Arsenal will always be a part of me, always. Thank you for everything."

Arsenal’s director of women’s football, Clare Wheatley, said: "Beth has made a huge contribution to our football club over nine years, and will go down in history as one of our best forwards and a legend of the club."

Arsenal confirmed that all Barclays Women’s Super League matches will return to Emirates Stadium for a second consecutive season, with a total of 13 WSL games across the 2026/27 season at their north London home.

The club said the league phase of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and domestic cup fixtures will continue to be played at long-standing host venue, the Mangata Developments Stadium (Meadow Park), while UWCL knock-out rounds will continue to be played at Emirates Stadium subject to qualification.

Arsenal

Arsenal also said the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup came to north London this season, as Emirates Stadium played host to both the final and third-place play-off, with Arsenal Women becoming its first-ever winners.

Renée Slegers, Head Coach of Arsenal Women, said: “We’re so excited to return to the Emirates.”

The Guardian said Beth Mead is close to agreeing a move to Manchester City after it was confirmed she will leave Arsenal this summer when her contract expires after nine years at the club.

The Guardian added that sources have confirmed she is in advanced talks with City, the new WSL champions, who are understood to hope Mead will bolster their forward options for their Women’s Champions League campaign.

In a separate assessment of Arsenal’s season, the BBC said Manchester City have already been crowned champions as Arsenal's wait for a first WSL title since 2019 continues.

Former England forward Ellen White told the Women’s Football Weekly podcast: "The start of the season was another issue for them. They've done that for a couple of seasons now and then they're on catch-up,"