What will Mariona Caldentey bring to Arsenal?

It’s that time of the year where teams try to be cute for the upcoming season by undergoing a wardrobe overhaul in order to dress their best for silverware next season. It’s the summer transfer window. This summer has already seen some big names change teams, from players to managers alike.

Vivianne Miedema, the FA WSL’s all time top goalscorer, decided to leave Arsenal having joined them in 2017. The Dutch forward has been at the heart of things at the club during her time there despite struggling with injury in the last two years. Her departure has left a big void for the Gunners to fill.

I mean, how does one replace a player who has scored 125 goals in her 172 appearance at the club? or replace a player capable of recording 10 goal contributions in a single game scoring six goals in the process? or replace a perfect blend of striker and playmaker in the side?

The truth is that it is extremely difficult. However, with big movers in the market, there are opportunities. Arsenal could have done a lot worse than signing a chameleon from one of the best clubs in the world. Jonas Eidevall decided that Mariona Caldentey was the chosen one for this task.

The 28-year-old forward has been one the key players for both club and country over the last few seasons. Her versatility and skills make her an invaluable part of the setup at both levels. She can play across the front line and in multiple roles further adding to her stock. With 20+ goal contributions in each of the last two seasons in Liga F and UWCL with Barcelona, Mariona’s ability is also translated into numbers.

Her player profile from the 2023-24 season immediately makes her stand out as a dominant force in possession. She finished the league with 10 goals and nine assists to her name, finishing with the joint third most goal contributions for Barcelona in Liga F. While these numbers showcase her end product, she is also consistently able to create danger.

Her ~6 penalty box entries per 90 is the best rate for any forward in Europe’s top five leagues in the last two season (min. 40% of the minutes played). She is an excellent outlet with her positional awareness in the final third, receiving 14 progressive passes per 90, a figure that puts her in the top five percent of forward across Europe.

Her excellent close control and silky touches on the ball make it difficult to dispossess her. She can release pressure or break lines equally well with her ball carries while also being adept at getting out of crowded spaces. She ranks in the top quartile for both take-ons attempted and take-ons success rate last season. Arsenal are essentially getting a forward with a midfielders toolkit, something that Miedema possessed as well.

The clip above showcases one of her performances against her current club in UWCL. The clip highlights how the Spanish international uses her movements to disrupt opposition’s organization and create micro advantages for her side in possession. Her ability to identify spaces and operate in between lines complementing her teammates’ movements makes her a dream for most managers.

An interesting caveat with all Barcelona players is the fact that some of these numbers tend to be bloated given how dominant the Catalan side are in these competitions. Their monopoly on the ball is translated into the players having more opportunities to attack and get their volume stats up.

Beyond these valid caveats, Caldentey’s quality often shows head in how she has been able to adapt and be effective in multiple roles during her time at Barcelona. She has tweaked her game to be both goal scorer and facilitator equally well. However, it’s her tactical acumen that truly sets her apart, allowing her to carry out various instructions to a tee on the pitch.

While the influx of quality with the addition of Caldentey isn’t under question, there are some valid questions to be asked about their setup in the coming season. Caldentey has been deployed in a starting wide left position at Barcelona. A nominal starting position from where she had the freedom and the tendency to drift inside helping the Blaugranas overload the middle of the pitch.

With Mead fully fit and firing now, she is one of the nailed in parts in the lineup. The problem arises with the similarity in styles for these two superstars. Both have a similar tendency to come inside from their starting wide position. Neither is a touchline hugging winger, albeit Mead can be instructed to do that during games.

The natural tendency of both these players means the Gunners might lack natural width when using these two as their wide options, in turn adding further responsibilities on their fullbacks. The obvious solution would be to use Mariona in the hole behind the striker, a.k.a as the attacking midfielder, a position she naturally gravitates towards during a game. This allows Jonas Eidevall to use Foord or Katie McCabe as the winger, maintaining width on the left.

However this solution means minutes for that spot will be split between Kim Little, Frida Maanum, Katherine Kuhl and the Spaniard, unless one of them moves away this summer and will only be a bigger headache when Victoria Pelova returns from her ACL.

The challenge doesn’t end here. Arsenal will expect Caldentey to produce the goods almost immediately with Miedema joining their direct rivals in the league, Manchester City. The Dutch forward will add more firepower to an already explosive City attack with Bunny Shaw, Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly, Jess Park and Mary Fowler. The Gunners will hope to not get burned in the fire forged by their own mistake.