Georgia Stanway wasted little time cementing her commitment to Arsenal, getting a tattoo linked to the club shortly after completing her free transfer from Bayern Munich, in one of the standout deals of an eventful Women's Super League (WSL) transfer window.
The England international spent four successful years in Germany, collecting multiple trophies with Bayern, before deciding the moment had come to return to English football with the Gunners. She also holds two European Championship winners' medals with the Lionesses under Sarina Wiegman, having established herself as a key figure in the national team setup.
Speaking to the Women's Football Weekly podcast, Stanway reflected on how her time in the Bundesliga shaped her both professionally and personally. "I've massively changed as a player and as a person," she said. "I've got more comfortable with myself and I enjoy my own time a lot more." She credited Bayern with helping her refine her role on the pitch, adding that the club gave her "the opportunity to develop a position and to figure out how I wanted to play with trust and expectation from the manager."
The midfielder joins Arsenal at what she considers the peak of her career, arriving with the intention of helping the club end a WSL title drought stretching back to the 2018-19 season. She revealed that once she became aware of Arsenal's interest, no other suitor stood a chance of signing her. "I knew I wanted to take the next step," Stanway explained. "I really like the fact Arsenal came in for me when I wasn't available. It's a really nice feeling to be wanted."
She went on to praise the club's broader ambitions, saying, "What Arsenal are building within England, within the WSL, within Europe, is something I want to be part of. It's setting the standard with women's football."
Arsenal finished as runners-up last season behind Manchester City, Stanway's previous English club, but have undergone significant squad changes ahead of the new campaign. Forward Beth Mead is among those departing, while the club has brought in seven new faces. Spain full-back Ona Batlle arrives from Barcelona, and Stanway is joined by fellow Bundesliga imports Geraldine Reuteler, a Switzerland international, and promising young forward Lisa Baum.
Stanway described the current transition as a fresh phase for the club. "It's a little bit of a new chapter," she said. "A lot of quality has come in. Arsenal obviously went hunting in the Bundesliga, which is a league that sometimes goes under the radar." She added that Arsenal's reputation continues to attract top talent, noting, "From the outside, everybody wants to be a part of Arsenal and what they're about to create."
Despite her enthusiasm for the football side of the move, Stanway acknowledged that adapting to life in London presents its own challenges. Raised in the Cumbrian town of Barrow-in-Furness, she admitted the shift to city living will require some adjustment. "I'm a bit of a homebody and I'm so used to everything being so local," she said, joking about her new teammates' perspective on distance in the capital. "I've already said to the girls about places being so far away and they're like, 'It's only an hour'."
She added that her preferences lean toward quieter surroundings: "I like little things within the countryside, I like farms, so I don't think I'll be in the city too much!"
With her move now official and her Arsenal allegiance already permanently marked, Stanway will look to make an immediate impact as the Gunners aim to reclaim the WSL crown this season.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport Football.