Arsenal youngster Ruby Mace has joined Manchester City, the club have confirmed. The highly rated 17-year old spent the second half of last season on loan at Birmingham City, where she played as a centre-half.
Mace broke into the Arsenal squad last season and made several appearances from the substitutes bench before joining Birmingham in January. Mace joins City on a three-year deal. Ruby scored twice while on loan at Birmingham City.
“I am so happy and excited to join Manchester City, as a 17-year old, it’s the biggest moment in my short career so far. I’ve got so much to learn and develop in my game and I feel this is the best environment for me to achieve my dreams. I’d also like to thank Arsenal for what they’ve done to get me to this point.”
I guess this proves that we are finished as a club. Being run by clowns top to bottom, men and women.
Well someone is obviously pulling the strings behind the scenes and not very well if they allow one of our most highly rated young players who has already demonstrated she can cut it in the WSL join Man City of all teams!
I am concerned for next season already!
Yes, easy to say–but there is a long history of teams, men and women, not keeping their young talent because the young talent isn’t ready to play regularly and thus is going to sit on the bench for a few years until s/he more fully develops. Is Mace going to play for ManCity–or sit on the bench? Was Arsenal going to play Mace regularly? No, not at all.
We still don’t have a manager. Sadly not surprised.
At least Joe had a plan even if we didn’t agree with it but we are now a rudderless ship.
What’s the next headline? Viv to Juventus?
It is concerning that youngsters think that any other place than us is better for their development. It is sad how Joe’s big project talk from last summer has basicly fallen apart with 9 months. We brought in Malin for the long term DM, she is gone. Ruby for me was potential DM, she didn’t get any minutes from us, she is gone. I think for the long term Arsenal women need technical director type as much as competent manager. Joe was never good with youngsters (and he shouldn’t have been, his concern should have been winning now, not project… Read more »
Nail on the head Eeleen. We’ve been developing talent for everyone else for years. Look down the WSL squad lists and count the number of ex-Gunners!
They are even coming back to the WSL from Barcelona now FFS but they are giving Arsenal a wide berth!
On a more positive note, I am pleased to see Charlton getting themselves organised and turning professional. They were once one of the big names in women’s football and I hope they can soon get promoted into the top league.
Reality is that Ruby probably has a better chance at first team football at City than at Arsenal, because we are stacked at back-up CB department (if Jen can’t get her fitness issues under control, first choice is more questionable), because Leah, Lotte, Anna and Viki are ahead. City has aging Houghton (is starting to get more injuries), Dahlkemper who seems to wants back to NWSL and out of position Greenwood. If she sees herself as CB, she is 6th choice for us and at worst 4th at City and all before her are not certain. If she is DM,… Read more »
Promising youngster have been leaving clubs for many years because they’re not ready to play regularly and can get more minutes somewhere else. It’s a reality of the game. If a youngster leaves and develops into a good player, then maybe you try to sign her in 3/4 years, using your past connection.
Definitely, the sense I had from the club in the New Year was that they were keen to make this kind of appointment, but, here we are. We already have lots of evidence on the men’s side that Arsenal are not swift or savvy operators.
I agree 90% with this comment, Eeleen, but I hve to disagree that the manager should not be concerned with bringing on youngsters. As a manager your job is to manage the club’s playing resources and young talents are part of those resources. And let’s face it, there are always several matches in season when we could play kids and still win – maybe not handsomely, but still.
Agree with you mostly. I maybe could have been little more accurate about my criticism about Joe and youngsters. I was annoyed with his project talk from beginning, not because I don’t think that long term is important but i felt that he used long term as excuse for not performing now (not signing players for now). Building for the future is different in womens game, because of shorttermism of contracts. And coach’es first priority should be get the maximum out of player he/she has now, because underperform a year and lot of players can jump the ship. (as we… Read more »
lol at arsenal
all the best Ruby
Yes, good luck to Ruby.
My reaction summed up: What?
I wasn’t expecting this news, this is devastating for the club. I thought Ruby was one of the most promising prospects for the future of Arsenal. I love Arsenal, but the club is a total shitshow.
So much overreaction! Is Mace ready to play regularly or even part-time at age 17? Maybe against lesser opponents–but it’s rare for clubs to hold onto promising youngster. Stop pretending this is some Arsenal thing–it happens constantly at every club.
The only real question, IMO, when assessing young talent is this: How far away is the player from playing regularly? How good is s/he now, how much more development is needed, and how long might that take? I’ve not seen Mace play. Is she a kid who’s ready to get real minutes with the big club within the next two years? Or will it take more time, in which case keeping her on the squad isn’t doing her or the team much good. These are always tough decisions–and of course nobody really knows how a young talent will evolve, unless… Read more »
I can’t help but find this news rather depressing as, at the moment, there seems no vision for the women’s team. Together with the permanent relegation of Fran Stenson to third choice, where is the way forward for our younger players? I will still try to look on the bright side, and the way Anna Patten has been brought into the first team gives a little hope; maybe someone has taken a thought-through decision that she has greater long-term potential than Ruby. Then there is the complete silence on the appointment of a new manager. This could be a sign… Read more »
I’m going with the “incompetence” option. Plus the women’s team being very low on the list of the club’s priorities.
This is just so typical of the leadership at Arsenal Fashion Club. Incompetence is now our corporate ethos.Smh😞.
Lauren James leaves to go to Man Utd = Jab 🥊
Joe steps down only to turn up at Juventus = Hook 🥊
What’s next? Miedema, Williamson and Evans transfer to Barcelona for the knockout punch 🥊
Short term this will not hurt us as we have several excellent CBs. But medium and long term this is a disaster for the message it sends about young players at Arsenal. And Mace could have taken Malin Gut’s place – rotating with Lia Walti.
I’m having a shit week and this has just made it worse…
I just saw where Bordeaux has released Bunny Shaw. Watch one of ManCity or ManU snatch her up.
According to a poster on another board, ManCity is going to sign Shaw for 3 years, which doesn’t surprise me. If it happens, it will be a big signing for them and another hurdle for Arsenal.
I should add that Shaw’s contract was up at Bordeaux. I hadn’t heard that it was. I’m sure she’s getting a major pay raise.
Frankly I disagree with most of the negativity & adverse comments. First of all a welcome change of manager is upon us and it will be a huge boost to the players and the club when announced, which must be soon. As Eeleen pointed out, we have top class quality & quantity in the “back 5” including 4 juniors who have made it to the top table. Steph Catley also has yet to play much but next season her impact I predict will be considerable. In midfield we have in our captain the best player in the WSL, along with… Read more »
Glass half full is great as is our first 11 but in the real world what happens when 3 or 4 of them are injured and all of our promising 2nd string have left for Manchester to make an already strong team even stronger against us?
We can all agree that CB is well covered. I also expect Steph Catley to be outstanding, based on the little I’ve seen of her. But we were not exactly struggling with Katie McCabe at LB so I’m not sure a fit Catley will transform our fortunes. Our fantastic first 11 was not enough last season, partly due to injuries, so it’s reasonable to be concerned that it might not be enough this season, especially since City and Chelsea are strengthening. We could lose more ground very quickly. We’ve made one signing – an excellent one – but we need… Read more »