London, July 22 (IANS) Arsenal Women have completed the signing of Spain goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez on a permanent transfer following the expiry of her contract with Real Madrid. The 27-year-old arrives in north London after six seasons with the Spanish club, where she established herself as one of Europe’s leading goalkeepers and captained the side during the 2025-26 campaign.
“I’m so proud to join this great club. Arsenal is one of the top clubs in the world, and I’m really excited to be part of the team and take on this new challenge. I want to help us compete for trophies and make more history, together with our supporters,” Misa said in a club statement.
Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Misa began her youth career with CD Femarguin before joining Atletico Madrid in 2017. She moved to Deportivo La Coruña ahead of the 2019-20 season, where her impressive performances helped the club secure a fourth-place finish in its first campaign in Spain’s top flight.
She became one of Real Madrid’s inaugural signings following the formation of the women’s team in 2020 and went on to make a club-record 215 appearances. Misa also won the Zamora Trophy, awarded to the goalkeeper with the best goals-conceded ratio in Spain’s top division, in her debut season and repeated the feat in the 2022-23 campaign.
On the international stage, Misa made her senior debut for Spain in 2021 and has earned 24 caps. She was part of Spain’s FIFA Women’s World Cup-winning squad in 2023, starting all three group-stage matches, and also lifted the UEFA Women’s Nations League title in 2024.
Arsenal Director of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley welcomed the signing, saying Misa brings proven quality and valuable experience at both club and international level.
“We’re delighted to bring Misa to Arsenal. She’s a proven goalkeeper at both the club and international levels and brings a wealth of experience. On behalf of everyone at Arsenal, I’d like to welcome Misa and her family to the club,” she said.
Head coach Renee Slegers added that the Spaniard’s consistency, commanding presence and communication make her an excellent addition to Arsenal’s goalkeeping group alongside Daphne van Domselaar, Anneke Borbe and Isabella Fisher.
“Misa is a top goalkeeper who has performed consistently at a high level for several years. As well as her technical attributes, she has great presence and communication on the pitch, and we believe she’ll be a strong addition to our goalkeeping unit, alongside Daphne, Anneke and Isabella,” she said.
–IANS
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