Arsenal Women are on the hunt for a new goalkeeper.
The Gunners announced that duo Sabrina D’Angelo and Kaylan Marckese would both be leaving the club upon the expiration of their contracts at the end of the season, along with club legend Vivianne Miedema.
It leaves Arsenal with only regular starter Manuela Zinsberger and teenager Naomi Williams on their goalkeeping roster.
With Arsenal again going to compete in the Champions League next season, they will feel it necessary to bolster their ranks by signing a new keeper.
But who could be on the list of the Gunners’ potential targets? talkSPORT.com takes a look.
Mary Earps (Manchester United)
Arsenal’s attempt to sign Lionesses number one Earps was famously rejected by Manchester United last summer.
But Earps’ future with the Red Devils remains unconfirmed, despite their FA Cup victory.
Asked about whether the goalkeeper would stay with the club next season, manager Marc Skinner could shed no light on the matter.
“That is a decision to be made later, it is not a conversation for now,” he told the BBC. “I’m sure (the win) does help but me and Mary have a great relationship. Of course I would love her to stay. She is an FA Cup winner.”
Earps has made no secret of her big ambitions, declaring she would like to play Champions League football and compete for trophies as regularly as possible.
Whether Arsenal is a club that could fulfil those goals is up for debate, but she will certainly not be playing Champions League football next season if she stays at Man United.
Earps would certainly seem like a sensible option for Arsenal between the sticks – but surprisingly, as the Telegraph reported in March, Arsenal no longer seem to have their eyes on Earps as their main target.
Instead, their gaze has turned elsewhere.
Daphne van Domselaar (Aston Villa)
It is Aston Villa’s fairly new goalkeeper, van Domselaar, who has now emerged as the frontrunner for the Gunners.
The Dutch keeper signed for Villa at the beginning of the 2023/24 season on a three-year contract – but the club have not reached the heights that many thought they would this season.
Van Domselaar shone for Villa in their League Cup quarter-final penalty shootout victory over Brighton, when she saved three penalties to secure her side’s place in the semi-finals.
But for someone who is widely-viewed as one of the best keepers on the international stage, Villa’s mediocre season might seem incongruous with her career.
She was also the Netherlands’ No.1 at the 2023 Women’s World Cup where they narrowly missed out on a place in the semi-finals.
Van Domselaar is understood to have a release clause of around £200,000 in her contract – and Arsenal seem to have made the 24-year-old one of their priorities for the summer.
Kayla Rendell (Southampton)
Southampton keeper Kayla Rendell made quite a splash this season when she received her first call-up to the Lionesses squad in April 2024.
The youngster is on standby for their upcoming Euro qualifiers against France, but the call-up is a huge mark of respect from England boss Sarina Wiegman.
Rendell’s club have performed well in the Women’s Championship this season, finishing fourth in the table.
At just 22 years of age, her signing would be a huge investment for the future for any club.
Her contract currently keeps her at the Championship club until 2025, but the draw of playing in the WSL would no doubt be strong if Arsenal were to express interest.
Teagan Micah (Liverpool)
A more unorthodox option, but Arsenal have certainly been partial to an Australian signing or two (or three) in recent years.
So Liverpool’s Teagan Micah could well seem like an attractive prospect indeed.
After signing defender Steph Catley and winger Caitlin Foord in 2020 and midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross in 2023, the trio have gone on to become firm fan-favourites, as well being key to the squad’s success.
Most recently, all three of them came on as late substitutes in Arsenal’s Continental Tyres League Cup final victory over Chelsea, and the winning goal was scored not long after – a testament to the quality they bring to the squad.
Micah is considered to be Liverpool’s second choice keeper at Liverpool behind the hugely experienced Rachael Laws.
But Micah has had her moments in the spotlight this season – she stepped in for the injured Laws in Liverpool’s stunning 4-3 victory over title-chasing Chelsea in the WSL in May, and some of her last-gasp saves ultimately earned her team the win.
Her potential is clear and if Arsenal are willing to invest, she could be a good addition to the club – although convincing the very shrewd Matt Beard to let her go might prove difficult.
The Liverpool manager has certainly showed this season that his club might well be the most appealing option of all for young players.
News Summary:
- Mary Earps, Aston Villa hero, or a future Lioness – potential Arsenal transfer targets as duo exit
- Check all news and articles from the latest Football updates.