Mariona Caldentey, a Barcelona attacker, looks set to join Arsenal this summer. According to SkySports, the Spaniard had agreed to join Arsenal after her Barcelona contract expires on June 30. Interestingly, Arseblognews correspondent Tim Stillman reports that the player and Arsenal women have had a verbal agreement since May.
Looking at these updates, I’m confident Arsenal will improve in one area: scoring more goals, as the 28-year-old joins with a bag full of goals and assists. Given her goal-scoring stats over the last four seasons, will she be a starter or a squad player upon her arrival?
2023-24: 45 games, 19 goals, 18 assists
2022-23: 30 games, 12 goals, 10 assists
2021-22: 30 games, 12 goals, and 10 assists
2020-21: 47 games, 17 goals, 11 assists
My theory is that she is a starter; Arsenal must have promised her plenty of playing time; otherwise, she would have easily gone elsewhere or signed a new contract with Barcelona.
I definitely remember Eidevall saying they’ll focus this time on adding quality, not numbers, which means whoever joins will be quality enough to be a starter.
So, if she is to start, where will she be in the Arsenal lineup? She can play as a striker, winger, or 10. However, as contentious as it may sound to some Arsenal fans, I believe she should start on the left wing.
This may limit Caitlin Foord’s game time, but it will also cause her to push hard in order to compete for a starting slot. Even so, with Arsenal fighting on numerous fronts, rotation will be crucial for Eidevall to keep everyone pleased.
Katie P
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