Exclusive: Paris St-Germain and Champions League winners Barcelona target Arsenal's Vivianne Miedema

Barcelona and Paris St-Germain are among the clubs hoping to sign Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema this summer, but the Holland star has not yet ruled out staying in north London beyond the end of her existing contract.

The 25-year-old's current deal at the Women's Super League leaders is set to expire at the end of this season, meaning that the competition's all-time record goalscorer could leave on a free transfer this year after five seasons in England. But Arsenal want her to stay and remain hopeful she will sign a new deal.

French league champions PSG and European champions Barcelona are understood to be two of the leading contenders to secure her signature, along with clubs in America, according to sources across Europe and the NWSL, but negotiations have not yet begun and no contracts have been formally offered yet by any rival clubs.

A source at Barcelona told Telegraph Sport that signing Miedema is a "priority" for the Catalan club, however, others close to the Champions League holders feel differently, saying the situation could depend firstly on the success of their own contract talks with Spain striker Jennifer Hermoso, who is also out on contract in June and has reportedly attracted interest from Real Madrid.

One of the biggest talents in her sport, Miedema has scored a record 67 WSL goals - eight more than any other player since the league was founded in 2011 - despite having only moved to Arsenal from Bayern Munich in 2017. A WSL winner with Arsenal in 2019 and the winner of the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year award last year, she finished fourth in the 2021 Ballon d'Or Feminin prize.

Miedema was offered an extended deal by Arsenal earlier this season, and could yet stay with the Women's Champions League quarter-finalists, but it is understood she wants the club to show greater ambition for silverware by signing players that can help them win the sport's biggest club prizes.

When asked about the matter in an interview with Telegraph Sport in December, she said: "It’s difficult. I’m always quite honest about those things. I’ve not made a decision. The good start to the season has definitely helped make me feel better about being at the club, but - and I’ve said this to the club - I’d like to see where we’re actually going and what the plans are. I want to win the Champions League and I want to win league titles. I definitely do believe Arsenal is capable to do so. I’d love to stay. But if I feel like the club is not going in the right direction then sadly enough I’d probably have to move to win the Champions League somewhere else."

Arsenal were comprehensively beaten by Barcelona twice in their two group-stage meetings in Europe earlier this term, although Jonas Eidevall's side did still qualify for the knockout stages and are the last-remaining English side in the competition.

Arsenal have been linked with highly-rated Sweden striker Stina Blackstenius in recent weeks but, when questioned about that on Friday, Arsenal head coach Eidevall - while declining to comment specifically on any potential targets - said that any players the club sign during the January transfer window would not be replacements for any existing squad members this term. He added: "What we're looking to bring in here in January will be to add to the existing squad that we have, and then of course the contract negotiations that we have, that might be something that might implicate next season, but not this season."

Arsenal were stunned by a 2-0 defeat against relegation-threatened Birmingham City on Sunday, losing for the fourth time in five games in all competitions, but they remain four points clear at the top of the WSL table.