Beth Mead is leaving Arsenal at the end of the season, bringing a major chapter to a close for both club and forward. Mead’s contract expires in the summer of 2026, and Arsenal have confirmed the 31-year-old will not sign an extension.
Mead joined Arsenal from Sunderland in 2017 and became one of the most productive attackers in the Women’s Super League. Across all competitions, Mead has played 263 matches for Arsenal and scored 86 goals, with the chance to add to those figures in two remaining fixtures.
In league action, Mead’s influence has been striking. Mead has registered 54 goals in the Women’s Super League and supplied 50 assists in 165 WSL matches. Across spells with Arsenal and Sunderland, Mead has produced 71 WSL goals and 53 assists, a unique output in the competition’s history.
That return makes Mead the only player in WSL history to have both 50 or more goals and 50 or more assists. Arsenal highlighted that status when confirming the departure, underlining how central Mead has been to the team’s attacking play over nearly a decade.
| Category | Total |
|---|---|
| Arsenal appearances (all competitions) | 263 |
| Arsenal goals (all competitions) | 86 |
| WSL appearances | 165 |
| WSL goals | 54 |
| WSL assists | 50 |
| WSL goals for Arsenal and Sunderland | 71 |
| WSL assists for Arsenal and Sunderland | 53 |
Mead’s time with Arsenal has brought major silverware. The forward helped the club secure the WSL title in the 2018-19 season. Mead has also collected three League Cups with Arsenal, plus a Champions League and a Champions Cup during the last 12 months.
This season, Mead has featured less often than in earlier campaigns. Mead has played 27 games across the WSL and Champions League, with 11 of those appearances from the bench, and has scored five goals. Arsenal have confirmed Mead’s final home match will be against Everton on Wednesday, followed by an away game against Liverpool on 16 May.
Interest in Mead’s next move is already emerging, with Manchester City and London City Lionesses both reported as possible destinations once the forward becomes a free agent in the summer. Arsenal have also stated that Victoria Pelova and Laia Codina will depart the club when their current deals run out at the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
The club’s public farewell underlined Mead’s importance across nine years in north London.
With significant honours, standout records and a rare WSL goals-and-assists double mark, Mead’s departure signals a major reshaping of Arsenal’s squad.
Story first published: Monday, May 11, 2026, 20:27 [IST]
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