Arsenal Women are on the brink of a significant addition to their squad with the signing of seasoned goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi on a short-term loan.
This move is an effort to strengthen their goalkeeping options, particularly in light of the upcoming Gold Cup.
Arsenal Women are poised to bring in former Lyon goalkeeper and eight-time Champions League winner Sarah Bouhaddi on a short-term loan.
This move comes as a response to the team’s current goalkeeping situation, with Canadian goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo set to participate in the Gold Cup in February. Furthermore, with Kaylan Marckese sidelined due to injury, Arsenal find themselves in urgent need of a reliable goalkeeper.
Sarah Bouhaddi, a free agent following her time with Paris Saint Germain which ended in September, emerges as an ideal candidate for this role.
The 37-year-old’s vast experience includes a remarkable stint at Lyon, where she secured 11 league titles and eight Champions League titles. This impressive record is boosted further by her international career with France, where she debuted in 2004, played in the 2012 Summer Olympics, and became the nation’s most capped goalkeeper.
Jonas Eidevall, in his pre-Watford press conference, highlighted the necessity of this acquisition.
“I think we need to cover for one particular situation and that is the Gold Cup coming up in February and March,” Eidevall said. “We have a very high likelihood of one of our goalkeepers being selected for that and we can’t really predict how the availability is going to be for the rest of our goalkeepers during that period, or how long that period is going to be.
“So ideally, we’ll bring someone in to help us through that period to manage that risk in a good way. That’s one thing that we need to do, and then it’s about finding the balance between what our players need for their development and what the squad needs.”
He also told Sky Sports, “We need to cover for one situation, the Gold Cup in February and March, and we have a high likelihood of one of our goalkeepers being selected for that. We can’t predict what the availability is going to be like for the rest of our goalkeepers during that period or how long that period is going to be. Ideally, we will bring someone in to help us through that period and help us manage that risk. That is one thing we need to do.”
This sentiment was echoed in his comments to Arseblog News, where he singled out Bouhaddi as his preferred choice. “Sarah, yes, that would be a player we would prefer to get in. But we need to wait until things are finalised but she could be an ideal candidate to come in with her experience, leadership qualities, and qualities as a goalkeeper.
“We are looking for a short-term solution that will span over this international period when the Gold Cup is being played.”
Bouhaddi’s rich career, marked by a string of individual and team achievements, illustrates her ability. Her individual accolades add to this further, with titles such as IFFHS World’s Best Woman Goalkeeper and UEFA Champions League Goalkeeper of the Season.