Vivianne Miedema to stay at Arsenal next season, Joe Montemurro insists

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free

Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy

Departing Arsenal manager Joe Montemurro expects star striker Vivianne Miedema to remain at the Women’s Super League club next season.

The Netherlands international’s deal runs out next year but it has been rumoured she will follow her club and national teammate Jill Roord in signing for German side VfL Wolfsburg.

But Montemurro has insisted Miedema will stick around, at least for another season.

He told Sky Sports: “Yeah, she has one more year on her contract. She’s still here, she’s definitely still going to be here while I’m around for one more week. I think everything has been said about Viv’s future.

“I see Viv from a more personal, friend’s perspective. We have really good football discussions, not necessarily about Arsenal, but other games and the sport in general.

“She has been rewarded for her super understanding, her football brain and who she is as a player. She makes everything look easy and that’s what the top players do.”

Miedema broke the WSL’s all-time leading goal scorer tally in October when she scored her 52nd in 50 league games. She added another eight goals to her record to claim 60 by the end of the 20/21 season.

Despite continuing her scoring ways for Arsenal this campaign with 18 goals, she was pipped to the Golden Boot by Chelsea’s Sam Kerr who slotted 21.

Miedema’s goals have helped the Gunners secure Champions League football for next season and while Montemurro lead the campaign he won’t see the fruits of his labour as he is stepping down as manager.

The Australian is taking a career break to spend more time with his family after winning the 2019 WSL and 2018 Conti Cup.

Arsenal are yet to announce a replacement manager and Montemurro added the new boss needs to understand the culture at the club.

He said: “They need to get someone who is an Arsenal person, someone who understands the ethos of the group, what the badge means.”