Beth Mead has confirmed she will leave Arsenal Women at the end of the season, bringing an end to eight years with the club.
The 31-year-old forward announced her decision in an emotional message after Arsenal confirmed her departure alongside Dutch midfielder Victoria Pelova.
Mead joined Arsenal from Sunderland Women in 2017 and went on to become one of the club’s key players. During her time in north London, she scored 86 goals in 263 appearances and helped Arsenal win the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the Women’s Super League, the FIFA Women’s Club Championship and three League Cups.
Reflecting on her journey at the club, Mead said the relationships she built at Arsenal meant more to her than the trophies.
“For me, it’s always been about more than just trophies, it’s about the people you share it with,” Mead said in an emotional Instagram video.
“The friendships I’ve made here go far beyond football, and I know that they’ll last a lifetime.
“You’ve seen me at my very best, and you’ve seen me at my lowest, and you’ve never let me face anything alone.”
Mead also spoke about the difficult moments she experienced during her Arsenal career, including the anterior cruciate ligament injury she suffered in 2022, which ruled her out of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Describing the injury as “one of the toughest challenges of my career”, she credited her teammates and the club for helping her through rehabilitation and personal loss.
“I lost my Mum in January 2023, and I didn’t know how I’d get through it, but you held me up when I felt like I couldn’t stand. You surrounded me with love, and I’ll never forget that,” she said.
“Leaving this club isn’t easy. It breaks my heart in ways I didn’t expect, but I leave it with so much love, so much pride, and so much gratitude. Arsenal will always be a part of me.”
Mead returned from injury after 11 months out and later featured for England women’s national football team as the Lionesses retained their European title at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025.
One of the defining moments of her Arsenal career came in last season’s Champions League final against FC Barcelona Femení, when she came off the bench and assisted Stina Blackstenius for the winning goal that secured Arsenal’s first European title in 18 years.
This season, Mead made 27 appearances across the Women’s Super League and Champions League, scoring five goals despite often being used as a substitute.
Arsenal’s director of women’s football, Clare Wheatley, described Mead as a “legend of the club” who would “go down in history as one of our best forwards”.
