Louise Quinn has signed for Fiorentina after the 30-year was released by Arsenal where she will team up with former Gunner, Janni Arth.
Louise Quinn initially signed for Arsenal after the collapse of Notts County in 2017 on a short-term deal for the Spring Series. Quinn, however, impressed enough to earn a longer stay and played a key role in Arsenal’s title winning season.
She played 19 of the 20 games that campaign, registering the second-best pass accuracy.
The arrival of Jennifer Beattie, however, saw Quinn’s game time drop dramatically with just six games last season.
Daily Cannon Exclusive: Interview with Arsenal’s Louise Quinn
“God yeah, it is literally almost two years to the day,” Quinn told the Irish Times back in May 2019 after Arsenal had won the league in 18/19. “What a turnaround. It’s hard to describe at the moment, the ups and downs of it all, there were some tough times in there, but Sunday made every step of it worthwhile.
“It’s [winning the league] definitely my proudest moment. When I look at where I’ve come from, it’s amazing.”
12 months later and it seems her fortunes changed once again as she was released by Arsenal at the end of her contract and snapped up by Fiorentina, where she is expected to go straight into the starting lineup. That was no doubt a key requirement of any deal.
“In Florence, she’ll slot right into the heart of the defence,” the official announcement on Fiorentina’s website said.
“The real question for Antonio Cincotta is who’ll partner her; veteran Janni Arnth may have the inside track, as she and Quinn were teammates at Arsenal for a couple of years, but Alice Tortelli is one of Italy’s best young defenders and seems a natural in the middle, although she can also fill in at fullback in a pinch, as she did during Guagni’s injury absence. This could also let Cincotta run out the best back three in the league if he moves away from his usual 4-4-2.
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“We’re wildly excited to see her patrolling the defence at the Gino Bozzi next year, as she should further strengthen an already-strong spine of this Fiorentina team.
“While it may feel like the end of a cycle with so many Viola players leaving, a signing like Quinn announces that the club is ready to keep competing at the top of league. Welcome Louise!”
Quinn, along with Arsenal’s Katie McCabe, were both nominated for the Republic of Ireland Player of the Year and it was the former Arsenal player who picked up the award.
“It’s just incredible,” the Wicklow native told FAI TV. “I’m really, really surprised to get that. I think we’ve had such an incredible year with such changes and the players coming up and stepping up to the plate, so to get the award is something truly special.”
“Just to wear the jersey is something that I love to do every time that we get to step onto that pitch. I’m extremely proud of it.
“Then there is the likes of Katie and Denise, I’m their biggest fan so for them not to win is a travesty as well. But I’m thrilled, even though it’s always a team effort.”
She also spoke about her move to Fiorentina, saying,”The team have been really, really welcoming, it’s such an open club and they have big aspirations.
“They were the first club to try and go professional in Italy, knowing that they have those goals, it was spot on for me to come here then.”