Michelle Agyemang won her first England cap in April. Alessia Russo had picked up an injury and Agyemang had already starred in England’s junior teams, so Sarina Wiegman called her into the England squad for a Nations League double header against Belgium. Reinstating the England U21 side was one of Wiegman’s first acts as England coach and Agyemang’s rapid acclimatisation to the senior side is a major tangible benefit of that approach. England trailed 3-1 in Leuven and Agyemang came on with nine minutes remaining. She scored inside 40 seconds.
Agyemang joined Arsenal at the age of six in 2012 (yes I feel old too). She has long been considered one of the most talented players to emerge from the Arsenal academy since Chloe Kelly and Leah Williamson. Agyemang scored her first Arsenal goal shortly before her 17th birthday in a 9-0 FA Cup win against Leeds United. She even came on as a sub in the UWCL semi-final against Wolfsburg later that season and scored 19 goals in 11 appearances for the U21s in 2022-23.
In women’s football, players are not allowed to sign a professional contract until they turn 18. Arsenal were so keen to secure Agyemang that they agreed a pre-contract with her in the summer of 2023, some six months before her 18th birthday. In January 2024, Agyemang joined Watford on a dual registration deal. Because she was not yet 18 and did not have a professional contract, players cannot technically be loaned.
So in the WSL, young players will instead go out on dual registration deals. Watford were fighting relegation from the Championship and even at 17, that was probably still beneath Agyemang’s level. But she was finishing her A-Levels at school in Hertfordshire and Arsenal and Watford’s training grounds are separated by a fence. Agyemang joined Watford alongside defender Katie Reid and midfielder Laila Harbert.
It led to the unusual scenario in January 2024 when Arsenal were drawn to play Watford at home in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Because Agyemang, Harbert and Reid were not technically on loan at Watford and Arsenal held their registrations still, they were not cup tied per the FA’s rules and the decision about whether they should play was left to Arsenal.
Arseblog News asked then Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall about the club’s decision
48 hours before the game. ‘From their perspective, to be able to play in the FA Cup at, hopefully, a sold out Boreham Wood, that is probably as good an experience as it can be. If I denied them that experience do I also deny them their potential development,’ he explained.
‘When I think about those two things, short term and long term, one of the few times in my career I am willing to give up a competitive advantage in order to invest in the future for Arsenal. In short I am not happy with the decision in the short term but long-term, given that I really see the potential in them, I think it’s the right decision because it’s going to develop them the most.’
Reid, Harbert and Agyemang all started the game and it led to the unusual situation of Agyemang scoring against her parent club. (Arsenal were 3-0 up and went on to win the game 5-1). So Agyemang has the unique distinction of having scored one goal for Arsenal and one goal against Arsenal.
For the 2024-25 season, Agyemang was loaned to WSL club Brighton. She made 14 substitute appearances for Brighton at the time she was called up for the England senior squad. Her goal against Belgium has really ignited her career, after that, Agyemang started three WSL games for Brighton. Overall last season, she got three goals and an assist in the WSL across 576 minutes.
Brighton often played her in the wide positions and you can see from her WSL goals last season, as well as the ones linked above, Agyemang has a keen instinct for where a ball is going to drop in the area. Here is a goal she scores from the right wing against Aston Villa in the spring.
Her other two WSL goals were scrappy penalty box finishes. First, this back post finish against Liverpool when she was playing off the left.
And here is a goal she scored against Everton, a game where she also started on the left wing but scores a trademark penalty area poacher goal.
As you have seen with her two England goals at the Euros this summer, Agyemang has a really good sense for where a ball might drop in the penalty area and she is an unerring finisher too.
So what next for Agyemang?
Agyemang’s rise is unique because her international career has taken off before her club career. She has four England appearances (and will surely add a fifth in Sunday’s Euros final) and six Arsenal appearances. She has three WSL starts under her belt but her role as a Plan B from the bench has rescued England in both their knockout games so far.
In the past, Sarina Wiegman used to send centre-half Millie Bright upfront in emergency situations. Bright was not available for the tournament this summer and that probably factored into Wiegman’s decision to take Agyemang over the much more experienced Fran Kirby as her ‘game changer’ option. ‘She brings something very different for us,’ Wiegman said upon her inclusion.
You would think Agyemang will come back to Arsenal next season and compete for a spot. That has to be a serious option, of course. My own slightly lukewarm take is that Agyemang should still go on a WSL loan again next season, preferably at a team where she will start a lot of games. Her role as an impact sub has been vital for England this summer and it has launched her career but there is more to her game than that, in my view and I would like to see her go and round out her obvious qualities by starting regularly.
Arsenal have four international wingers (Mead, Foord, Kelly and Olivia Smith) and two international centre-forwards (Russo and Blackstenius). The Arsenal attack is pretty crowded. However, the contracts of Blackstenius, Mead and Foord all expire next summer and all three will be in their 30s. That is not to say all should summarily be expelled from the club, of course. But you have to think there is a chance at least one of them could move on.
The space is clearer for 2026-27 in an Arsenal context and having another WSL club give her regular game time to help her become more than a supersub would be ideal for Arsenal. (Sending her away with a newly signed contract would be just the ticket). But, of course, what the player wants is a key part of the equation too. (And I have no knowledge or information on that whatsoever).
I understand the counterargument, that Arsenal should seize the moment and move on one of the current attackers to make room for her (and make no mistake, for Agyemang to get her opportunities, someone would have to go to make room). My own view is that if she keeps getting cameos, it won’t round out the full array of her attributes.
Chloe Kelly left Arsenal at the age of 21 after a couple of loan spells at Arsenal because she couldn’t see a path for regular minutes in North London. She prioritised regular playing time at Everton and after two seasons there, got her move to Manchester City. The lesson from Kelly is that playing regularly honed her talent.
However, it remains to be seen whether Arsenal look to loan Agyemang again next season (and she would have no shortage of suitors). If Arsenal do that, I am certain they would ask WSL clubs to form an orderly queue and go into quite some detail about how they would plan to develop Agyemang’s game. At the same time, they may well decide that events have taken them over and to make room for one of the most talked about talents in football this week.
