Arsenal Women have announced that forward Beth Mead has signed a new contract with the club.
The 27-year-old has enjoyed a goal-laden few years in North London since making the move from Sunderland in 2017, racking up 61 goals in 166 matches across all tournaments.
Mead's efforts helped Arsenal win the Women's Super League in the 2018-19 season and Women's League Cup in 2017-18, and she played a starring role for England during their Euro 2022 triumph.
The Gunners forward scored six goals as the Lionesses won the trophy, ending the competition as top scorer and player of the tournament before placing second in the 2022 Ballon d'Or Femenin behind Alexia Putellas.
Mead is currently sidelined with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, but the England international enjoyed a remarkable 2021-22 at club level, scoring 14 goals and setting up 19 more in 40 games for Arsenal.
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Before sustaining her serious injury, Mead opened the current campaign with five goals and five assists in nine games across the WSL and Women's Champions League, and she has spoken of her pride at signing a new deal with a club that matches her ambition.
"I'm so happy to have signed a new deal with Arsenal," Mead told arsenal.com. "This club is home for me – I've grown so much here as a player and a person and I know we can achieve so much more together in the years to come.
"I want to compete to win the biggest trophies in the game and I know that the ambitions at Arsenal match my own, so I can't wait to get back onto the pitch and help to deliver the success our supporters deserve."
Head Coach Jonas Eidevall added: "It's wonderful news that we have agreed a new deal with Beth. She is a world-class footballer and has proven that on the biggest stage of them all.
"I have so much admiration for the way she has handled success and adversity on and off the pitch over the past few years, and I'm sure she will approach the next few months with the positive attitude we all know Beth for."
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Finally, Head of Women's Football Clare Wheatley said: "Everyone at Arsenal is delighted that Beth has signed a new contract here with us. In her five years with our club, Beth has grown into one of the best footballers in the world and her form over the past season has reached new heights.
"We were all so proud to watch her achieve her dreams in the summer and we are looking forward to welcoming her back to the pitch to pursue more success with Arsenal."
Mead's plethora of individual accolades also include the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year and England Player of the Year for 2022, and she was named Arsenal's Player of the Season for the 2021-22 campaign.
The former Sunderland forward sustained her ACL rupture against Manchester United in a WSL fixture on November 19, and she is fighting to be fit before the 2023 Women's World Cup begins in July.
Mead has now been joined in the treatment room by partner Vivianne Miedema, who suffered a serious-looking knee injury of her own in Thursday's 1-0 Champions League defeat to Lyon, although the extent of the damage is still unclear.
Ben Knapton
