Arsenal must crown Vivianne Miedema's heir after Barcelona star 'agrees' summer transfer

If England's 2-1 victory over France was Alessia Russo's audition for the role of Arsenal's next leading lady, then the striker came through it with flying colours.

Since Vivianne Miedema arrived in North London in 2017, it is she who has - in an attacking sense at least - been front and centre for the Gunners, becoming the Women's Super League's (WSL) top goalscorer and establishing herself as one of the most accomplished forwards in the game's history. But, with the Netherlands international having left the club at the end of the season, the stage is now set for somebody else to shine.

In truth, Miedema's star has been on the wane for the past two seasons, with the 27-year-old having ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in December 2022. She returned to action for Jonas Eidevall's side last October but her recovery has not been linear and she had to undergo further surgery on her knee earlier this year.

Even in spite of her recent injury woes, it was a surprise to see Arsenal abstain from renewing her contract and it is a decision that could come back to haunt the Gunners should Miedema secure a move to one of their WSL rivals next term. It makes the need for Eidevall to anoint his next superstar even more imperative and, with Russo already one of the most recognisable faces in the women's game, it seems she is the obvious candidate to take on that mantle.

The England forward moved to North London from Manchester United last summer, having spent the previous six months at the centre of one of the WSL's most protracted transfer sagas. Arsenal had seen a world-record bid for Russo turned down in January 2023 but, after her contract at Leigh Sports Village expired last June, the Gunners finally got their girl.

It is clear that the weight of expectation has burdened the 25-year-old at times this season and she has not yet reached the levels of brilliance that first prompted Arsenal's aggressive pursuit of her signature. That said, she has still posted a healthy return of 14 goals and four assists in all competitions, with only Stina Blackstenius having been more prolific in front of goal for Eidevall's side.

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It is a solid foundation for Russo to build upon next season and, as evidenced by her Player of the Match display against France on Tuesday night, there is far more to her game than simply putting the ball in the back of the net.

"I think Alessia has a lot of different qualities and what might be the unique thing is the combination of these qualities," Eidevall said of his new striker ahead of Arsenal's clash with Man United last October.

"She can work hard in defence, she's clever in defence, but she can also score goals. She's an excellent finisher both with her head and with her feet. She's a technical player, but she can also control the duels and be really physical and protect the ball.

"It's very, very seldom that you see players that can have all the aspects of it. Usually in football, you have to choose between some of it and that has to be an active choice. But the standout with Alessia and why I think her potential is sky-high is that she has all the faces onto it."

Whether Russo is able to realise that "sky-high" potential on a consistent basis remains to be seen, if she fails to do so, however, there is another Arsenal forward who might just be ready to seize her moment in the spotlight.

Sweden international Blackstenius has been the club's top scorer in each of the last two seasons and has managed 43 goals in 83 appearances for Arsenal since joining them from BK Hacken in January 2022. Despite the fact her minutes per goal ratio across all competitions was an impressive 75 minutes last term, the forward rarely gets the plaudits she deserves, thanks in part to her propensity for lurching from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Still, getting Blackstenius tied down to a new deal this summer was close to the top of Eidevall's priority list and, with the 28-year-old having now committed her future to the club, she could be primed to take on more of a starring role next term.

“Stina is a top-class striker and I’m delighted that she has signed a new deal with us," Eidevall said last month. "Her goalscoring naturally takes a lot of the focus, but Stina’s game is so much more than that.

"She’s incredibly hard-working and brings so much to the team with her clever running and physicality. I know she’ll continue to be a huge part of what we’re building here at the club.”

Of course, there a few people who have been more central to Arsenal's project under Eidevall than Beth Mead. In the Swedish coach's first season at the club, Mead had a hand in 33 of the Gunners' goals in all competitions, scoring 14 and assisting 19.

She carried that scintillating form into that summer's European Championships, where she finished as the tournament's top scorer, and made an excellent start to the 2022/23 campaign before suffering an ACL injury in November 2022. Like Miedema - with whom Mead has been in a relationship since 2022 - it has been an arduous return to full fitness, though she did manage to register nine goals and eight assists in all competitions last season.

She netted against France at St James' Park last week and is slowly but surely recovering her best form - something which will be vital if Arsenal hope to close the gap on Chelsea and Manchester City next term. Closing that gap, it is hoped, will also be made more likely by acquiring the services of Barcelona striker Mariona Caldentey who, according to Sky Sports, has agreed to join the Gunners when her current contract expires at the end of June.

Caldentey won three Champions League trophies and six Liga F titles during her time in Catalonia and was part of the Spain squad that won the World Cup last year. The 28-year-old has an enormous European pedigree and could be exactly what Arsenal need to take them to the next level.

Replacing a player of Miedema's calibre, though, is much easier said than done. The Netherlands international is one of the greatest players to have graced the WSL and whoever ends up leading Arsenal's line next season will have very big shoes to fill.