So far this summer, Arsenal have brought in five new players. Georgia Stanway, Geraldine Reuteler, Selina Cerci, Ona Batlle and Lisa Baum. With Laia Codina, Beth Mead, Katie McCabe and Victoria Pelova all leaving the club this summer, it represents a significant turnover.
There has been a move towards longer contracts in this window with the club keen to avoid too many more summers of large turnover like this one and to forward plan more efficiently. I think there are some strong themes that run through the players they have brought in, three of which I will set out below.
EXPERIENCE
Katie McCabe had been at Arsenal for 11 years. Beth Mead for nine. Both are hugely experienced, pillar players for the club and significant leaders. Arsenal had the oldest average starting line-up in the WSL in each of the last two seasons. The average age of the squad had to come down. However, that experience is also hugely valuable and you don’t lose it lightly.
In the clamour for regeneration (which I understand and share) you cannot lose sight of what you are losing when you let big, experienced players leave. In short, you cannot replace players like Beth Mead and Katie McCabe with raw youngsters. Georgia Stanway is 27 and has 93 England caps and has played in three international tournament finals.
Geraldine Reuteler is 27 and has 91 caps for Switzerland. Ona Batlle is 27 and has 74 caps for Spain, she has won a World Cup and two Champions League titles. Selina Cerci is 26 and while she has been a later bloomer than the aforementioned, she has a solid record of goals and assists in the Bundesliga. Misa Rodriguez turns 27 this week and has over 200 appearances for Real Madrid. Arsenal have brought the average age of the squad down but by moving from late prime to early prime players.
The signing of 19-year-old Lisa Baum underpins a separate stream of recruitment. Smilla Holmberg is 19 and was recruited in January, Olivia Smith was 20 when she was recruited last summer, while Katie Reid and Michelle Agyemang are 19-year-olds from the academy are looking to make their mark.
Arsenal also didn’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water and arbitrarily lose every player over 30. Kim Little, Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord were retained. But ultimately, the big, experienced players needed to be replaced with big, experienced players. The replacements are just a little earlier in their ‘experience’ arc than some of the big pillar players that departed this summer.
VERSATILITY
By now Renee Slegers has been in charge long enough that we all recognise her love of versatile, adaptable players. On Geraldine Reuteler’s unveiling video, a small card flashes up with ‘POSITION: ANYWHERE’ written on it. This has been a common theme of recruitment under Slegers.
Olivia Smith can play on both sides and featured upfront last season as well. Chloe Kelly has been used on both flanks. Taylor Hinds has played as a full-back on both sides. Smilla Holmberg has been used as a right-back and a right-winger. The recruitment team have added layers to this this summer.
Georgia Stanway is a 6/8 hybrid. Reuteler has played as a 6, 8, 10, right-winger and even as a false 9. Selina Cerci is principally a centre-forward but is used more typically as a wide attacker at international level. I think adding a sense of unpredictability in attack has been a key focus this summer.
I also think reducing reliance on some of Arsenal’s existing central players has been a priority. The team has been too dependent on the triumvirate of Russo, Mariona and Little and I think the arrivals of Stanway, Reuteler and Cerci in particular are aimed at spreading that burden.
TRANSITIONAL THREAT
Arsenal scored nine fewer goals than champions Manchester City last season and they have to make up that shortfall. They also drew six games in the WSL (losing only one). Finding ways to separate from the opposition on the score board is one of the biggest areas for improvement heading into next season.
Cerci adds goal threat and she potentially adds elements Arsenal have lacked in terms of aerial threat and attacking the back post clinically. She is also strong in transition moments and that is a thread that binds Baum, Reuteler and Cerci. A look at their goal clips illustrates that all these players have the ability to quickly turn high turnovers into goals.
This is why Arsenal want to sign Géraldine Reuteler pic.twitter.com/vYVlcsSDUY
— Kafaji Comps (@KafajiComps) April 9, 2026
There is a similarity to Cerci and Reuteler’s goals in that both look very fast to punish high turnovers and this has been an area of weakness for Arsenal since Beth Mead’s ACL injury. Arsenal are a strong pressing team who are good at forcing turnovers, but they don’t punish them quickly or ruthlessly enough. I think the addition of these two players in particular is aimed at getting better and faster at exploiting high turnovers.
Lisa Baum - 25/26 Season Highlights pic.twitter.com/L03ceMAiB5
— YSL🧊🧊 (@contestedmid) June 27, 2026
There may well be a question as to how well this skill translates to the WSL compared to the Frauen Bundesliga, which is probably a slightly more transitional league. I think it has taken Chelsea some time to fine tune their attacking focus towards a player like Alyssa Thompson, who is a monster in transition and on the counter.
Baum is very strong in these moments too. But in terms of age and style, Baum sits in a separate strata of the club’s recruitment this summer. She offers variety as a left-footed player on the right and as a very strong one v one player. A future where Arsenal have Olivia Smith and Lisa Baum on each flank is easy to envisage. Arsenal have brought in good athletes this summer and I don’t think that is a coincidence.