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Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues below<ul><li>Miedema to leave Arsenal this summer</li><li>Gunners' announcement shocked many</li><li>Including former boss Montemurro</li></ul><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script>

Arsenal's decision to part ways with 'unique' Vivianne Miedema questioned as her former manager Joe Montemurro suggests Gunners didn't make use of her 'weapons' in 2023-24

<a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/vivianne-miedema-leaving-arsenal-gunners-125-goal-forward-depart-summer-bombshell-announcement/bltbeaaa5cb534a356f" target="_blank">Arsenal announced on Monday that Miedema would leave the club at the expiry of her contract this summer, bringing the Dutchwoman's seven-year spell to an end</a>. In that time, she has become the Women's Super League's all-time top scorer and won four trophies - the league title, plus three Continental Cups.

WHAT HAPPENED?

This season has been tough for Miedema. <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/vivianne-miedema-netherlands-womens-nations-league-arsenal-surgery/blte1c604e4045b540c" target="_blank">She returned from an ACL injury in October but then had to have a second surgery on her knee in March and has struggled to be at her best as a result</a>. Still, that Arsenal have decided to let the 27-year-old go has come as a shock to many, including former Gunners boss Montemurro.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Montemurro, who won two trophies in a four-year spell at Arsenal from 2017 to 2021, told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5489916/2024/05/14/vivianne-miedema-arsenal-exit/" target="_blank">the Athletic</a> that he was surprised at the news. "She’s a unique player, not only for Arsenal but on the world stage," he said. "It is a really interesting discussion on why they wouldn’t renew a contract. Sometimes clubs go in different directions and sometimes players might just need a change. It will be very, very difficult to not put Viv and Arsenal in the same sentence.“She was the symbol in my tenure of how Arsenal wanted to play. I absolutely loved working with her because we used to challenge each other. I’d say, ‘No, that’s not right’. She’d go, ‘Yes, it is, it’s right’. Tactically, the way we wanted to approach things, we would have great discussions about how we could improve. I really loved those discussions. She’s really an intelligent thinker in terms of the way she sees the game.”Montemurro also seemed to question whether Arsenal have got the best out of her in recent times when he noted: “I understood she needed to be free. She needed to be in the right areas where she would have massive impacts and allow her to be creative. She just sees things a lot earlier. If you give her that room, she can be very effective. She has the weapons to play all those areas, whether it’s back to goal, coming from outside in, starting from a lower position. When you’ve got a player of that calibre, let her make the decision in the moment.”

WHAT MONTEMURRO SAID

Miedema has since been linked with a summer switch to Manchester City, one of Arsenal's biggest rivals in the WSL. Multiple outlets have reported the Cityzens' interest in the forward, who scored 125 goals in 172 appearances for the Gunners.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Gunners will been keen to reinforce the attack following Miedema's departure, too, <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/arsenal-talks-chelsea-fran-kirby-barcelona-mariona-caldentey-vivianne-miedema-replacement/blt63f309a2c65a4200" target="_blank">with BBC Sport reporting interest in Barcelona star Mariona Caldentey</a>.

WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arsenal's decision to part ways with 'unique' Vivianne Miedema questioned as her former manager Joe Montemurro suggests Gunners didn't make use of her 'weapons' in 2023-24 | Goal.com Australia

Arsenal&apos;s decision to part ways with Vivianne Miedema at the end of this season has come as a surprise to former Gunners boss Joe Montemurro.

Arsenal&apos;s decision to part ways with &apos;unique&apos; Vivianne Miedema questioned as her former manager Joe Montemurro suggests Gunners didn&apos;t make use of her &apos;weapons&apos; in 2023-24