Australian goalkeeper Lydia Williams is set to join Paris Saint Germain on a free transfer.
Le gardienne australienne de 34 ans Lydia Williams (ex Arsenal) a signé en faveur du @PSG_Feminines pour la saison prochaine . #mercato #PSG
— Benjamin Quarez (@B_Quarez) July 9, 2022
Williams joined the club in the summer of 2020 from Melbourne but has been unable to unseat Manu Zinsberger as first choice.
According to our information, Williams was offered a new deal by Arsenal with her current deal expiring on June 30th. But with a World Cup in her home country next year she tough competition in the national team with Mackenzie Arnold and Tegan Micah, Williams has opted not to extend her deal in search of more regular minutes.
Reports from France suggest she has signed for PSG. Arsenal are likely to recruit experienced back up / competition for Zinsberger.
Good luck.
Can we offer enough playing time to Hedvig Lindahl to lure her to Arsenal? She is surely the best goalkeeper available for free at the moment, even at the age of 39.
Question from an admittedly more part-time Arsenal Women follower, but do we not have a younger keeper that’s highly rated to trust with the #2 spot? Fran Stenson right?
Management always claim Fran is “one for the future”. The problem is her future will be elsewhere if we don’t give her a chance! She was touted as competition for Roebuck and Hampton within the Lionesses set up and where is she now? She needs games and we have enough games per season with the domestic cups and lesser European ties to give her a go between the sticks every so often to keep and develop her skills but do the management have the faith? When I have seen Fran play I have not been unduly wooried about her ability… Read more »
Maybe send Stenson on loan for more experience?
Done that already
… and she got 8 games at Blackurn and 0 at Brighton
Exactly! Could have stayed at Arsenal and got no games although for a young person she does appear to be prone to injury which possibly limited her playing time.
Now we take goalkeeping coaching more seriously why don’t we keep her and manage her development into the player many think she can be?
I think a hand tendon injury which Fran had operated on last year has had quite an effect on her progress and also stopped her being able to play when she went on loan to Brighton. As she has had only ONE senior appearance in her three years at Arsenal, harsh as it sounds, she should probably move on to a Championship club and get established as a number 1. After all this time on the periphery it seems very unlikely that Jonas is going to announce her as Manu’s number 2 for the new season. The vibes from Mr… Read more »
Thanks Peter. That tallies with my memory, feel like I’ve heard about Fran being the next great goalie for years now. Hope she gets some games with us, it always stings seeing talent leave to succeed elsewhere
Shame for us but what a good move for Lydia Williams.