Manchester City have agreed a deal to sign England international Beth Mead following her departure from Arsenal in May.
Mead, 31, left the London side on the expiration of her contract after nine years, 265 appearances and one Women’s Super League title.
The Athletic reported last month there was growing anticipation that the WSL champions would get a move for Mead over the line at the end of the season. Sources close to the deal, speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to do so, have said an agreement has now been made.
Fellow international team-mate Niamh Charles, 26, is also set to have a medical at City on Wednesday.
Charles (right) signed a contract extension with Chelsea in 2024 but is set to leave for City (Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
The Athletic reported in May she was set to sign for the Manchester club despite having one year left on her contract at Chelsea, having signed a three-year extension in January 2024.
Charles has won five WSL titles since joining the west London side in 2020 from Liverpool. The defender sustained an ankle injury last season but started their last three league games as Chelsea finished third in the table.
Both players featured in England’s 3-0 win over Ukraine on Tuesday, with Mead scoring the third goal in the second half.
‘The aim is to turn City into a dynasty’
Analysis by football writer Cerys Jones
This pair of signings reflects the message that champions Manchester City sent emphatically with a new contract for Khadija Shaw, and that is surely beginning to echo in the corridors of Arsenal and Chelsea: this season was not a one-off. They are determined to build a squad that can sustain this success, and Charles and Mead are two signings that will help them both on the pitch and commercially.
At 31, Mead is not a signing to future-proof the squad, but has shown she can still add plenty in the present. For Arsenal and England, she has carved out a space as an impact substitute: only Alessia Russo contributed more than Mead’s five assists in the WSL for Arsenal this season, but with nine more starts. As a European champion with club and country, Mead brings valuable experience to this City side — as well as adding depth for the increased burden of being back in the Champions League.
Charles’ arrival from Chelsea is a savvy move to reinforce the defence after Leila Ouahabi’s departure. At 26, Charles should have years of peak performance left and will need no time to adapt to the demands of the WSL. She arrives with an extensive collection of silverware from Chelsea, but also with a point to prove after a fading role at Chelsea.
Injuries have seriously limited her involvement, with only eight WSL starts last season, and the blockbuster arrival of Katie McCabe from Arsenal and rise of academy graduate Chloe Sarwie would only increase competition for her spot. Given Charles’ availability issues, recouping a fee before her contract expires next season can be seen as good business on Chelsea’s part.
It is also worth pointing out the boon that signing two England internationals represents for City. Their pull in the transfer market is evidently growing, and bringing in high-profile names from rivals acts as a shot across the bows to other WSL clubs. The aim is to turn this winning team into a dynasty.
