Stanway explains why she joined Arsenal amid Chelsea & Lyon interest

Georgia Stanway Arsenal signing 2026

Lionesses star Georgia Stanway has opened up on her decision to join Arsenal, after the Gunners' announced her arrival on Friday morning. It's a move that ends Stanway's four-year spell in Germany with Bayern Munich and she has now explained why she wanted to return to England and what made her choose Arsenal, amid interest from both Chelsea and Lyon.

Stanway explains decision to leave Bayern Munich

Stanway was unveiled as an Arsenal player on Friday, putting pen-to-paper on what Arseblog understands is a three-year deal, with the option for a further year. After months of rumours, it's a transfer that caught no one by surprise, with the player herself announcing back in January that she would be leaving Bayern at the end of her fourth season at the club.

But Stanway has now spoken openly about what made her choose to leave Germany, despite having such an enjoyable and successful time with Bayern. In an interview with the Athletic, the 27-year-old explained that she was thinking about her future last summer, during England's successful defence of their European Championship title in Switzerland.

"Being in Germany, you don’t feel the effects of winning the Euros," she said. “I don’t get to experience home fans often enough, I don’t get the feeling of being a European champion. Coming back to Bayern, it’s amazing, I get the representation, I get the congratulations, but I have nobody to share it with because I’m the only English person here. What I experience with the Lionesses is something I want to experience all the time."

Georgia Stanway England Women 2026

Why England was the place to be for Lionesses star Stanway

There were other factors, too. While Stanway and Bayern have had lots of success together, winning four successive Bundesliga titles and two domestic trebles, as well as reaching the Champions League semi-finals this year in the club's best run in that competition for five years, the league itself in Germany is not regarded as Europe's best. It's one of the best, sure, but Bayern lost just two league games in Stanway's four years.

Unsurprisingly, then, the England midfielder cited a desire "to be in a more competitive league, where it’s high pressure, high demands constantly," as another reason for the move. She will get that in the Women's Super League, which is widely regarded as Europe's most competitive division, with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Man Utd all vying for the big titles, and Brighton and Tottenham even reaching FA Cup finals in the last few years.

There was also the element of being back at home for Stanway. "I wanted to be where my family could come to most games," she added.

Choosing between Arsenal, Chelsea & Lyon

The Athletic understands that Lyon, the eight-time European champions, showed interest in signing Stanway, but her comments about wanting to return to England and the reasons behind that desire mean it's no surprise it came down to two WSL clubs: Arsenal and Chelsea.

“It was really difficult between Arsenal and Chelsea. They were both very impressive,” Stanway said. “I don’t just want to be offered something because now people know I’m available. I want to be hunted. I know they wanted me.”

She was able to have “a few sly discussions” with other players, too, not least her two closest friends: Chelsea midfielder Keira Walsh and Arsenal defender Leah Williamson. “It was hard, because I had Leah on one side and Keira on the other. But it was important I made the decision for myself.”

Georgia Stanway Arsenal signing 2026

Why Stanway picked Arsenal for her WSL return

In the end, Arsenal's long-standing interest, as the first club to express a desire to sign her, proved to be "massive" for Stanway, who was also excited about the opportunity to play in midfield with Kim Little, the Gunners' iconic captain, and Mariona Caldentey, who finished runner-up in the voting for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. "I would love to play with Kim and Mariona," she said. "Kim is still unbelievable, but she’s not going to play forever."

Other factors included the playing style at the club and the fact she could see where she fits into the team, plus the family feel she got when in discussions. It's something Stanway has heard about plenty from Williamson "and now I'm part of it," she said. "It feels a little surreal."

She has committed to the cause in an incredible way, too, with her unveiling marked by a video of her getting a tattoo that reads 'whatever the weather', a lyric from 'North London Forever', which is sang at the Emirates Stadium before every Arsenal game. "I do believe this was the best move I could have made for my football and life," Stanway said.