Arsenal Women added two players to their squad in January, both of them on deadline day. They also allowed two players to leave, one permanently and one on loan. Here is a primer for Arsenal’s January transfer business and the context of each deal.
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Jenna Nighswonger (24) Left-back from Gotham FC for £80,000
Arsenal wrapped up the signing of USWNT international left-back Jenna Niswongher on deadline day. Nighswonger played as a winger in college at Florida State but was moved to left-back by Gotham (and former Spurs) coach Juan Carlos Amoros upon joining them in January 2023. Nighswonger is an attacking left-back but her arrival says something about how Renee Slegers has shuffled her pack.
Since 2020, Steph Catley and Katie McCabe have been Arsenal’s left-backs. There are few clubs in the world with that sort of depth at left-back. However, one of Renee Slegers’ first moves as interim coach was to move Catley to centre-half, where she had played as an emergency option in the past.
Slegers likes her team to build in a 3-2-5 shape with McCabe pushed right up from left-back. Catley not only offers a left-foot in the centre of defence, but as a career left-back she knows how to cover the space McCabe is asked to vacate either when she pushes up as a left-winger or when she inverts into midfield.
Catley’s conversion to first choice centre-half leaves a gap at left-back which needed filling and Nighswonger does that. It also frees McCabe up to play further forward and bolster Arsenal’s limited wide forward options. With Wienroither allowed to leave, it also allows McCabe to slide across to right-back when needed. It’s one signing that has a domino effect on other areas of the squad and brings a touch more resilience. A floor raiser as opposed to a ceiling raiser.
Chloe Kelly (27) winger on loan from Manchester City
The signing of Kelly in the final minutes of deadline day was arguably the signing Arsenal needed most in the window. Lina Hurtig’s continued injury issues have essentially seen Arsenal playing with three wingers instead of four for the last two and a half seasons. There is the additional wrinkle that the three wide options, Mead, Foord and Mariona, are 29 or 30 years old.
Kelly probably isn’t a long-term signing but Arsenal very much needed a winger. Against Chelsea last week, they finished the game with Alessia Russo on the right flank while Rosa Kafaji has also been repurposed there in recent weeks too. They needed another winger and Kelly became available. City had a choice between two competitors in terms of who they allowed Kelly to move to.
They will not be thrilled to strengthen Arsenal but the only other option was to strengthen another competitor in Manchester United who happen to be a city rival. Arsenal were able to execute a pincer movement in the final hours of the window. Kelly had been frozen out at City and is desperate to make sure she gets playing time ahead of Euro 2025 this summer.
How Kelly arrived at Arsenal and how Arsenal arrived at Kelly are stories in their own right. But what Arsenal are getting is a 27-year-old England international who averages 0.80 goal contributions per 90 minutes over five WSL seasons. End product, baby. Kelly can play on both flanks and is an explosive presence on the outside, principally on the right.
She also proves a good antidote to Mariona on the left, who drifts inside as more of a left 10, while Kelly is very much a winger who can hold the width, take her full-back on and whip in an excellent cross. She also already has an attacking understanding with international teammates Alessia Russo and Beth Mead. It is a marriage of convenience but it’s a strong short-term capture, even if there are questions about how Arsenal arrived at the deal.
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Kathrine Kuhl (21) Central midfielder, AS Roma, circa 100,000 Euros
Kuhl was an obvious departure having only played a handful of minutes this season. She was also barely used during the first half of last season before going to Everton on loan last spring. Even with injury to Victoria Pelova and with Kim Little and Lia Walti nursing their own injury issues, Kuhl could not get a look in.
Kuhl arrived at Arsenal two years ago as a precocious teenager and one of the most highly rated talents in Scandinavia. But, in truth, she probably made the big move from FC Nordsjælland a little too soon. Roma is a good move to a team that regularly challenges for the Serie A title and gives her the opportunity to rebuild her career and her talent. Don’t bet against seeing her make a step up again soon.
Laura Wienroither (26) Right-back, Manchester City on loan
Our information is that Wienroither was told at the beginning of the window that she did not feature in Renee Slegers’ long-term plans. McCabe, Fox and Nighswonger are all capable of inverting into midfield and Wienroither is much more your ‘outside back’ in US terminology.
Wienroither did not feature for a single minute during January while 18 year old centre-back Katie Reid played in both full-back positions ahead of her. Wienroither is essentially the first casualty of the Slegers era. While her departure is no surprise, her destination is. Manchester City have injuries in defence and while her loan to City on deadline day is not linked to Kelly coming in the other direction in the documentary sense, it was a wheel greaser.
Wienroither hasn’t started a game for Arsenal since rupturing her ACL in May 2023 and she had a slight knee issue during the autumn, but I don’t believe the issue is physical per se. She strengthens a rival but that deal enabled Arsenal to strengthen themselves. Again, whether Wienroither lands at City permanently feels doubtful, they have a short-term need. It does allow her to put herself in the shop window.
Katie Reid has played her way into the squad this season and was the only promoted academy product not to go out on loan in January. Amanda Ilestedt has also returned from maternity leave so Arsenal are stronger in defence, though not necessarily at right-back. How Arsenal amend this position in the long-term remains to be seen.
Does Kelly have to wait until sp***rs to debut?
It will give her time to work with the rest of the squad and build understanding – look at it that way.
Just didn’t realise it until this afternoon.
Ah, I see what you mean.
2nd article today with Nighswonger misspelled.
Hi Chris, I wrote this on my ipad on a train, my ipad kept autocorrecting to the wrong spelling for some reason, apologies I didn’t catch it but that is the explanation on this occasion. But would appreciate it if you could read this thread and perhaps bear with me a little if you do see typos in posts. Always want people to correct me when it happens and will always fix them as soon as I realise, but often there is a medical reason that, in truth, I am still a bit sensitive about so would appreciate a little… Read more »
Niswonger is the original Swiss German spelling – so you can always style it out that way…
Really would have liked one less loan out. In Jan games there was space for an extra outfield player on bench, in 3/4 games (palace it would have meant not listing Williams) . Might be 17 available experienced players for City away, room for 3 young players on bench Reid + others. McCabe will be back next week, but Kelly can’t play the cup games
“But what Arsenal are getting is a 27-year-old England international who averages 0.80 goal contributions per 90 minutes over five WSL seasons.” Wow. I didn’t realise she was that prolific. I guess it’s all the assists bumping it up. Whatever happens with a permanent signing, bringing in Kelly has eased a potentially emergency situation and bought us time to work on the special player we are no doubt chasing. I suspect RS sees Reid as the RB cover more than, or at least as much, as McCabe. Unless it’s a CL game or a cup final, I think Reid will… Read more »
Kelly has played very little football this season so hoping for the best with this last minute deadline day gamble. At her best she was unplayable at times so would love for her to find that form again quickly but may need to be patient.
It doesn’t seem that much of a gamble to me – closer to a “plug and play” signing. She’s been training, so she’ll be up to speed in no time.
Yes, she has been involved in every match day, just from the bench. Personally more inclined to look at it as her being fresh.
And she knows Lessi and Meado’s game well too!
Yes indeed – plus they will be off together at England camp in a couple of weeks!
It’s a win – win, surely. She has previous that is well known, we got her for her salary alone, presumably, and if at the end of the season she doesn’t want to sign up, or we aren’t fussed about keeping her she can move on as a free agent. Oh! Don’t forget she was originally an Arsenal girl anyway! If she can help us grab another 10 goals what is not to like?
Once again, excellent, unrivalled coverage and analysis of AWFC. Great work, Tim and thank you, Arseblog.
Reading some of the stuff that’s been said about Kelly by the city manager… wow- he seems like an ass.