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Beyond the Pitch Episode 102 : Transfers special deep dive. Chelsea, Arsenal and International too!
8 Plays1 month ago
Join Alka and Cate as they deep dive into the transfers for this January window. Chelsea incredible signings, Chloe Kelly back to her former youth club and some pretty great loan spells and international transfers.
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Transcript
Reunion and Introduction
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, hello and welcome to Beyond the Patch, a daily women's football podcast brought to you by the Global Sport Podcast Network. I am particularly very happy today because I'm back podcasting with someone I haven't podcasted in ages.
00:00:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
So back a few months ago, this beautiful woman I used to podcast so much and then our schedules got mad and we haven't for a long time.
00:00:37
Alka
I know.
00:00:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
not So let me introduce my co-host today, who's Alka. And not only I am very excited because I'm podcasting with you today, but we are talking about your favorite topics ever.
Chelsea's Transfer Strategy Overview
00:00:51
Alka
yeah
00:00:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
transfers.
00:00:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
So topics for today is only transfers. That's literally all we're going to talk about in that we are going to divide it into three different ones. So we are going to start with Chelsea taking the transfer window by storm. And I am very excited about say, but I'll tell you a little bit more later, then something happened that I struggle to get my head around a certain player, yeah the place for England,
00:01:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
impactful lioness who used to wear a light blue shirt decided to come back into London and played for her former youth clubs. So yeah, we're talking about Chloe Kelly and then the lawn spells and international transfer. So we are started with Chelsea, Chelsea taking the transfer window by storm. What is going on?
00:01:48
Alka
right you can't not mention chelsea when you mention transfer window um my number one question is where are they getting all of this money like i think it's it's crazy to think um obviously you get money when you're in the league you get money when you're in tiles but at the same time 1.1 million correct me if i'm wrong that's the last figure i've heard for nyomi garma
00:02:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, that's $1.1.
00:02:15
Alka
Okay, but still, that's near and half a mil. um obviously record-breaking, and we love to see it, because this is the digits that we need in our transfer window, no this is what is acceptable, this is still not acceptable in comparison to the men's, but it's growing in the correct step. But we thought, right, they're going to bring in this wealth transfer in Naomi Girma, they're going to use it, that watch shes everyone saw that and went, right, they've won they've won the league for the next 10 years, full stop.
Kiera Walsh's Transfer Insights
00:02:41
Alka
Then all of a sudden, they thought, hmm, let's be a bit more selfish, but it's getting Kiera Walsh,
00:02:48
Alka
Kira, well, right, I understand Kira's reason to leave. I will go into that in a bit. But what's the need to just bring her in now? Could you not have just waited until the summer, given us a bit of a break, you know, let our hearts breathe again and then be like, boom, no.
00:03:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, why? Why?
00:03:06
Alka
I don't understand, I don't understand.
00:03:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I understand, I i totally, ah okay, today's gonna be a discussion episode. Fine, I'm happy with that. So I understand as an Arsenal supporter, it's really hard for you to see this, because Chasse is going to dominate anything.
00:03:19
Alka
Yeah.
00:03:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
They were obviously there after all of the records that Arsenal had. So they wanna win the, what is that, quadruple? Is that how you say?
00:03:29
Alka
Yeah.
00:03:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
They want to dominate everything, et cetera. I feel that's that's my opinion. I don't work for Chelsea. I don't have insider information. So as a disclaimer, I want to say this is only my opinion. I think that when Sonia said she was coming to Chelsea, she said, I'm coming to Chelsea to win everything. And you have to support me in winning everything. Otherwise, I'm not coming.
00:03:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
and that's what the club is doing and I love it. I've been saying this for a long time and you know when we podcast I always say one of the most underrated football teams in women's one because I think back in the day they were not as prominent let's put it this way which maybe you know their marketing they weren't as loud etc but for me one of the most relevant football team for women in the past years not just because of MIAs and all they want but they were one of the first teams in England to have so many like social media followers, to do stuff
Chelsea's Ambitions in Women's Football
00:04:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
for their teams. And you can see that now it's super paying off. And I'm so glad that they keep on being louder about it. So I think their aim, one of the very strong aim, is really to beat all of those records. So they've already done so much with Emma being here. When Emma was here, sorry, now Emma left. And now they want to go even more records.
00:04:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
If they want to win the Champions League, you know, they have to bring something else. Now I think they can win it comfortably.
00:04:58
Alka
moving like Moving similarly, obviously, Chelsea dominate and I i know that's going to happen. I'm aware, I've already mentally prepared myself, but going specifically into Kiera Walsh, Naomi Germer was always Like it was always a move that was going to happen. We didn't know where she was going to go. um Kind of hinted to the WSL. Kira Walsh is a different one. Obviously everyone's laughing because she's followed Lucy Brahms to City. They just followed Lucy Brahms to Barcelona and now she's back here at, you know, Chelsea with Lucy. All fun and games. But if you genuinely do think about it from a Kira Walsh perspective, it was time for her to leave. Alexia is back. She's, you know,
00:05:38
Alka
again what i think is fully fit she's still smashing it with the records she's not been hindered or like majorly hindered in any way by this acl injury and she's back and she's fighting and so that will that gives barcelona one of two options alexa who comes with so much power and name and obviously talent but also so much just history for the club and then kira while she also covers it
00:06:02
Alka
um Less of what's the word? Less of...
00:06:08
Alka
of that not Less history, that's what I was thinking.
00:06:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Are you asking me? I'm a foreigner, what do I know?
00:06:14
Alka
Obviously, if you think of Barcelona, you think of Alexia. Sorry, I kind of just blanked there.
Kiera Walsh vs. Arsenal?
00:06:18
Alka
um So it's time for her to move. I didn't want her to move to Chelsea, I wanted her to move to Arsenal because I thought, right, Kim Little's coming to the end, Lea Volte's also, you know, virgin the end of her career.
00:06:31
Alka
Obviously they've still got time, but...
00:06:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sorry, Kira Walsh.
00:06:36
Alka
Yeah.
00:06:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nah.
00:06:39
Alka
Right, just because you're a Spurs fan, we'll speak about it later, but...
00:06:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, she's not an Arsenal player. You think she would?
00:06:46
Alka
Uh...
00:06:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nah, she wouldn't have fit in that team.
00:06:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
You think so?
00:06:49
Alka
she was
00:06:50
Alka
Yeah, you got...
00:06:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's that's what nothing that's got nothing to do with me being a expert or anything. I wouldn't have seen her fitting her in there. You would?
00:06:59
Alka
I think I could... i think i could death More than the likes of, but obviously not more than the likes of Chelsea, but like more than the likes of, let's say if she wanted to go abroad elsewhere, I could see her definitely fitting in more into Arsenal's game plan.
00:07:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:07:13
Alka
I see what you mean in terms of Spain suing her perfectly. um
00:07:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know, I think, i
Challenges Faced by Kiera Walsh at Barcelona
00:07:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
again, no did not inside information, and so this is just my personal opinion, um I think that she probably also wanted to leave at the beginning of the season and for whatever maybe contractual thing or something she wasn't able to.
00:07:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think she's probably suffered this past few months in there. But anyway, again, this is my opinion. I am very excited to see actually Girma, Girma, Girma.
00:07:53
Alka
yeah
00:07:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm just going to stick to Naomi playing because um after the Olympics, I remember I was chatting to a very good friend of mine who is ah one of the top coaches in Italy, female obviously, and she was telling me a lot about this one.
00:08:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
She was saying like, wow, it has been a long time for me that I have, and you know, I haven't seen someone, a player I'm so excited to watch.
00:08:17
Alka
Yeah.
00:08:20
Alka
Yes, definitely.
00:08:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, I'm so excited to watch her you know, how she moves, how she thinks, all of that.
Naomi Girma's Potential at Chelsea
00:08:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I didn't even know about it. And so when, yeah, when I heard the Chelsea getting it, it was interesting, actually, because I sent her the photo, well, the Instagram post, and then she was like, Ah, no, I think she's gonna, she's gonna go to Lyon.
00:08:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I was like, Really?
00:08:41
Alka
yeah
00:08:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
She's like, Yeah, I think so. I think so. And then I was like, Nope.
00:08:45
Alka
I think, no, ah Chelsea is probably the best move for her. It will stretch her, it will give her what she wants in terms of getting, you know, accolades. But now I'm just going to slightly shift this towards the fact that the top three teams, which we'll see throughout the rest of this podcast, are smashing it in terms of like, even Brighton.
00:09:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep.
00:09:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep.
00:09:08
Alka
I also bring in Brighton into this competition. asian
00:09:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Great.
00:09:11
Alka
They're smashing it in terms of these transfers and they're only growing their team to be bigger and better but that leaves so many teams falling behind and that's teams that are expected, teams that are unexpected. um We're obviously such big advocates and I'm such a big advocate on this podcast um to always highlight the disparity ah between leagues but now we're going to feel it even more within one singular table. I think Is that going to be a hindrance to the game in itself? Is it going to be boring for the next foreseeable until all of a sudden the men's teams start, you know, chipping into their female sides like Crystal Palace or like West Ham, who obviously have men's teams or in the Premier League or even if they're in the Championship, they have this money to give to their women's side to maybe help them grow and narrow that gap a bit more. But we're just seeing a bigger and bigger gap increase between one league
00:10:08
Alka
I hate to think about the gap between Championship and and WSL or National League and Championship or Tier 1 and you
The Growing Disparity in Women's Football
00:10:17
Alka
know what I mean. so
00:10:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
so So you're like, you know what I mean?
00:10:21
Alka
oh
00:10:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
so i mean and i am it's yeah um I mean, I know we don't have a lot of time now for ah our first topic, but
00:10:25
Alka
like yeah
00:10:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
So there's two things, either this is going to be like a big gap for now, but with the plans of kind of like reducing it. So if the top starts to really grow, then the rest will grow together. I, again, I said it before in the podcast, I really feel that Nikki has really thought about it. Nikki and the whole WPL, yeah, WPLL, I'm not saying just Nikki, but Nikki and all of her organic, they've really thought about it. and to develop it all. It might take a little bit of time and it might be like a shift a little bit in this way. And so there is going to be a bit of a disparity. But I think with the intention of raising all of the game, we are very used to see this in the men's game. But if you go back in time, when the Premier League started like 1992, the first few years, it wasn't like that. Like the gap was huge in so many things.
00:11:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
in teams, in money, in stadium facilities, in all of that. And then slow slowly, slowly, they've raised the bar of everything. and Do you understand? that that's That's what I feel will happen.
00:11:43
Alka
I hope so
00:11:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Or maybe that's what I also wish it will happen. But I always think that I don't know, maybe again, because I love strategy and of business, et cetera. So from that point of view, I feel like Nikki has really looked into how the premier league has developed and how other maybe female league in the world has developed and how to do it in this sort of way in here as well. And, and, and I think we'll get there. I really feel, and I always feel we're so spoiled in here. It's incredible. I feel very lucky.
Chloe Kelly's Return to Arsenal
00:12:14
Alka
Definitely.
00:12:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And here we are, second topic, ah the London girl coming back home, same as kind of like what Russo did, your topic, your team, your girl, go for it.
00:12:56
Alka
Chloe Kelly, right.
00:12:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:00
Alka
What a time to sign her in. I think, I mean, we've just got, and now we're not able to use her for two games. So that is, that is a bit of a pain because obviously we're facing Manchester City today.
00:13:13
Alka
in the WSL and then during the middle of the week in the cup we are facing them also so that is a tough one getting such a massive huge player and obviously putting her on the bench in the first two games but I think it is absolutely lovely to see her back I didn't really have a mark like I didn't mind where she was heading obviously there was loads of speculation over Manchester United there was then speculation over Brighton Um, I would have loved to see Chloe Kelly at Brighton. I think Brighton is a place of shift in career. So it's just, it's grown so much that any player could end up in Brighton and their career will like flip on its head and they can skyrocket.
00:13:58
Alka
but obviously she will be doing bits at Arsenal. We see, we're thinking of the likes of who we've got on the wing. We've obviously got Kaitlyn Ford, we've got Beth Mead, but we've not got the biggest amount of players to bring on and recycle on the onto those wings. We've got a huge handful of midfielders and obviously we've got our strikers, but let's just strip that back, take it away from actually Chloe Kelly on the pitch and now let's think about what had caused this trigger. So obviously Chloe Kelly had put out a ah post on Instagram just explaining her whole situation, saying that she's loved Citi, she's loved the fans and what it had brought to her, but she's no longer in a place where she wants to tolerate um and just take just negative behavior towards her is what she said.
00:14:51
Alka
And this has obviously got everyone thinking, what's gone on? Has something happened? Which I can understand that something's happened because players don't often come out on social media and say, right, I've been done dirty. I want to move before they've had a deal even offered to them. That was still put out while she was in speculation of who could take her where here and there.
00:15:14
Alka
um And you can tell automatically just how happy she is to have moved. She closed that statement with just, ultimately, I want to be happy again. I want to feel happy again. We've seen that when Arsenal, this is one thing that kind of rubs me the wrong way a little bit. City couldn't even fathom to make a post for Chloe.
00:15:37
Alka
to say she was leaving. They put a picture up of her and said Chloe Kelly has joined Arsenal unknown until the end of the season, full stop. Whereas you can see then the different switch of treatment. She's gone, Arsenal have gone through the archives, but obviously it it was hard because we hadn't visited in London from Manchester.
00:15:58
Alka
um And so they couldn't make that whole video. They've obviously done a little, they've done a cute little skit with Kitty McCain, which I'm loving. But Arsenal have put, you know, her picture down, they've written, you know, the fact that she's been through the academy, X, Y, and Z. And Chloe had even commented under this, like, I can't remember what it was, but it was something really cute, like, something to do with just pure happiness and joy. And you can tell but straight away that she is, she's just so content in being at Arsenal.
00:16:30
Alka
You're smiling about something so I know what you're gonna bring up, but go for it.
00:16:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, I think that, I i mean, you know, I'm a Spurs fan. I love a little bit of banter. Yeah, sure. But I am so happy to see, like, the women's game developing in a certain way.
00:16:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, when there is something that you need to compliment, you have to. And I think that video of,
Arsenal's Playful Signing Announcement
00:16:52
Alka
ah
00:16:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, Katie McCabe, just, you know, pretending to throw the ball because that's what happened in the past.
00:17:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
And as soon as, ah you know, as soon as Chloe was announced, like, that image went everywhere of people going like, oh, I wonder what's going to happen now. bute but but And so it was so clever from them to actually use that to to kind of like counter art and to create a lot of things.
00:17:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I really love that in the women's game, we can also do that. We can do things with, you know, with humor and fun and announcing, you know,
00:17:27
Alka
yeah It's not so serious.
00:17:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah announcing play and transfers like that and it's like look yeah Katie and you you know you hated each other until last week because you were playing for different team and now you're like besties and and you play together i just i love that so much no you're absolutely right again i don't know what happened inside it it's very controversial i told you before i read the post um that someone put out um they they I mean they said they interviewed you know her agent and the agent said I would like to stay that Chloe actually never really wanted to leave city so I wonder okay you didn't want to leave so what happened in there you know but um
00:18:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah I don't know it'd be be nice to be the usual thing like a fly on the world ah but I yeah but I mean if you go to the Arsenal uh you know Instagram page like she's everywhere you know super welcome all the fans are very excited to have her um I think it makes such a difference to
00:18:27
Alka
Yeah.
00:18:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, as you said, come back home, obviously, she used to play for the Academy. It's just, and I'm happy for her, as you said, you know, in the poster, she wrote, ultimately, I just want to be happy and play, you know, the game I love so much.
00:18:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's, it's a bit like a relationship, we always talk about it, you know, sometimes it works forever. And sometimes you just have to think, you know, the best way for us is to part and for each of us to be happy again.
00:19:00
Alka
yep
00:19:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I hope, her I hope, I hope, I hope she will bet.
00:19:04
Alka
yep because then has the option of whether she wants to stay at city at the end of the season or find the whole new different club so that's still in the works and it's still so much to see from chloe um yeah what we're thinking about
00:19:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I really hope so.
00:19:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:20
Alka
about her game time obviously coming off like after the two city games. Do you think it would have been in her contract that she's a regular starter? Would you think that you know she just gets game time per game? like It's difficult when you see players who have been on the bench for so long for a team, but I'm thinking Renee obviously couldn't sing her you know sing our praises anymore when she was interviewed. um They both had a conversation
00:19:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:47
Alka
um And they basically just, Renee said, yeah, we had a phone call and we just just put all of our emotions out on the table. Chloe had been so transparent in what she needed, wanted, and Renee had been the same about the club. And yeah, I just think it's so wholesome.
00:20:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. So again, obviously we don't have a lot of insight information so we can just speculate, but this is how I feel. I mean, you can see like even in the photo and the the small videos of like the sign-in when Renee was there, I think Renee must have said, I need her.
00:20:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
not not neither is it like, Oh my God, I cannot do it without her, but like, okay, she's coming in. That's where I'm going to play her. And that's how she's going to play. So I think we'll see quite a lot of her, whatever, whatever the contract that they've done allows her.
00:20:29
Alka
ye
00:20:32
Alka
I'm excited.
00:20:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's probably going to be some, you know, some, something that is like it may be in certain competition. She's not allowed to, or because when you are on loan, you know, there's a lot of that type of things.
00:20:44
Alka
up ti ah
00:20:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
They also want to protect her. So she doesn't play too much. She doesn't have as much risk of injuries. There's a lot of it, but I think, you know, if, if, if Renee has said, yeah, yeah, yeah, bring her in is because she wants to play her and she knows exactly when, how, where, et cetera.
00:21:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I agree. Probably Chloe said, i've I'm coming to play, not coming to stay on the bench.
00:21:04
Alka
yeah
00:21:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, of course, if she's not injured or anything and whenever she's allowed for her contract, but yeah, that that's how I feel.
00:21:06
Alka
Of course.
00:21:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll see her a lot. Very exciting. Again, I feel very, I always say, I feel very spoiled, very privileged that we are
Zencaster Platform Promotion
00:21:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
in London. We get to see to play, you know, very easily to go and watch all of this superstar playing. So yeah, very much looking forward to it. It's going to be a really exciting second half of the season.
00:21:29
Alka
Here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we spend a lot of time selecting our delivery platform. Zencaster came out the clear winner, with 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those M's and R's. It's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently. If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zencaster.
00:21:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
right so last but not least in the last few minutes we are talking about on we're sorry sorry sorry my bed my bed we are talking about the um how do you say yeah yeah yeah yeah but lone spells you said lone spells and international transfer very exciting my god we've got so many so go for it
00:22:07
Alka
loans are international.
00:22:20
Alka
I think one that I just cause we've just talked about Chloe Kelly, we're gonna have to mention the little swap that Arsenal and City have done.
00:22:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:30
Alka
They're obviously missing Alex Greenwood. You can tell they're missing Alex Greenwood. So they have called in. They've called in our tiny tank. They've taken Laura V. Reuter. I think that's perfect. It's amazing. I love seeing loans between top clubs. I think it's such a useful thing. We always talk about loans between a top club and maybe ah a lower down club or a club in a different tier.
00:22:52
Alka
but I love the fact that loans can also happen between the best of the best and it still be okay. Obviously, same, Laura won't be able to play in this weekend's fixture or midweek either, but I think it's going to be so, so massive for her career, getting game time in such a, even though things have happened around here, there's been loads of transfers in and out, and they might not be doing as well as they have been last season. and City is still a very incredible team, and i yeah, I wish Laura all the best.
00:23:21
Alka
Um, so the next.
00:23:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, very quickly before you carry on speaking about the other ones, just really quickly.
Respect Among Fans in Women's Football
00:23:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Um, it's, I think it speaks really highly of the women's game and also of the women's funds. So people from city are not gonna hate Chloe Kelly cause she came to Arsenal. They probably wish her all the best. Go Chloe. And the same is happening on the opposite side. You know, you are an Arsenal fan and you just said, you know what? Very happy.
00:23:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm happy she's going there. ah She gets to play there. Good for her. Good for CT. Let's go. There's no, uh, there's no hatred. There is no lie. Oh, I love to see that about the women's game. That's it. don Carry on.
00:24:02
Alka
yeah Now another one that's kind of, it's been a bit like, whoa, I didn't realise, like it's an amazing chance, right? It's Wilderboro Reesor. So she obviously was at United a few seasons ago. She then moved the same time as Alessia, moved to an athletic home in Dred, did a little bit of stint there, obviously did amazingly there.
00:24:21
Alka
And now she's made her move to Bayern Munich. She is a defensive midfielder, and I can't get out of my head the fact that they've brought her in, obviously, because our poor Georgia Stanway has, you know, has been out.
00:24:36
Alka
she's She's had her surgery, she's recovering. We're not gonna mention the Euros because we don't really know. She's gonna be...
00:24:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, we don't, we don't want to. We pretend, we pretend that by the Euro, she's going to be back. She's going to play there and she'll be super fine.
00:24:47
Alka
Exactly.
00:24:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's it.
00:24:49
Alka
and
00:24:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we don't want to talk about her.
00:24:51
Alka
We just pretend it doesn't exist. We close our eyes and then we can't see it. ah But this is a wicked transfer. She's just grown and grown. You can see, obviously, she did excellent in terms of when United finished a second in the league. But then, obviously, you United are bringing her back this season too. But, Athletic Overdread, you've got your same obviously top teams in Spain, the athletic home, it should be one of them. But I love the fact that she's decided, right, I'm just going to move to buy it. It's a whole different side of football. They've evidently been looking for her, for someone like her, because they know the loss that they've had with George Stanley being out. They also know the loss that they have with Sam Kerr um going on, going on loan to Liverpool.
00:25:36
Alka
um Yeah, what do you what do you think? Do you think it's going to be a ah swap for swap, sub for Stanway? Or do you think she's going to need time finding her feet?
00:25:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, sorry, ah you just said something that spring into my mind. I'm just thinking like, wow. Imagine Chelsea when some girl is back.
00:26:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
You just said some girl and I just went like, Oh yeah.
00:26:03
Alka
Yeah, we don't think about that. We also close by.
00:26:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I'm just like, Oh my God. Of course.
00:26:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
She's back soon.
00:26:08
Alka
but but
00:26:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
like a
00:26:09
Alka
and
00:26:10
Alka
And um why can't I remember? Who's the other midfielder? Khadija Buchanan. Is she not done a ACL? She's out as well. Imagine when they both
00:26:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, I mean, what a pleasure would be to watch that game. I don't know. I mean, to me, to be honest, for me, it's like, um, you know, I wish her all the best. So she wants to go there. It's fine. It's just, uh, I don't know a lot about the German leagues. I don't know a lot about that team in particular, Bayern, obviously Georgia just speaks very highly about the team when she's interviewed, et cetera.
00:26:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I think if she wouldn't like it she would leave because she's probably requested by many teams and she knows she would be quite you know as soon as she's gonna say like I'm leaving who wants me me me me so you know it's I also think sometimes you are somewhere maybe you get stuck ah you know a team might look really good from the outside and then you go there, you start to play and you think, meh, not really my thing. So yeah, I wish her all the best really. I mean, I would prefer to stay in Madrid than to go to Germany, but that's more from a personal point of view. Like I love the city better, the food, everything else, et cetera. But I mean, at the end of the day, it's her career. So yeah, I wish her all the best.
00:27:27
Alka
and I think that leaves us time for one more, one more transfer.
Jenna Nighswonger to Arsenal: Impact Discussion
00:27:32
Alka
It wouldn't be right if I didn't mention this Miss USA general rights logo moving from Gotham FC to Arsenal, reunited with her little Emily Fox.
00:27:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Go on.
00:27:44
Alka
oh But I'm going to come from this in a bit of a In a bit of a concerned manner, a concerned manner for a Miss Steph Catley fan and Miss Katie McCabe fan and like all of the above, she's a left back.
00:28:02
Alka
We have ample left backs. What we kind of lack is our right backs.
00:28:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:28:10
Alka
We've seen Steph Catley put the shifts in mid ah midfield, my band, centre back. um But I'm a bit concerned, not in terms of obviously Jenna's an amazing player, she's just going to bring asset over asset to Arsenal.
00:28:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:28:24
Alka
But does that hint that we're going to get a departure very soon? And that doesn't even mean a departure, meaning Steph Catley, but that makes my departure, my little ring, go towards Lotto Rubimoy.
00:28:37
Alka
If we've seen Steph Catley play in centre back, you know, not really a mess up in centre back, we've got Katie Reed, who is an upcoming you know, legend of a centre back who is going to do absolutely bits in the future, is the fact that we're stocking up on our defence, a little bit of foreshadowing for the fact that, oh, what an only Miss Arsenal might actually leave at the end of the season.
00:29:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting thought. Where do you think she might go?
00:29:06
Alka
I've not got a clue, but I'm just thinking in terms of progression for her career, if I come from a totally unbiased perspective, not an Arsenal fan, nothing, she's not getting the game time, she's constantly injured and I think she needs a change. She's not lost in motivation, that's not something that she'll like that will drive her move. You know, some players think, right, I'm not winning anything, I'm not growing, I want to move. That's not what I think is happening there.
00:29:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:32
Alka
Like if she doesn't move now or by next January it will end up being a bit of a downhill spiral.
00:29:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. I say, I understand. I hope she'd go to Italy.
00:29:44
Alka
Italy? What?
00:29:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
you Yeah. Yeah.
00:29:47
Alka
I thought I'd go.
00:29:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
What do you mean war? Yeah. Like I think she could, she could go and try to play in a different league. Why not?
00:29:53
Alka
I mean, Italy would swap, like they would take her in ASAP. Yes, I agree. But I just don't know if Lotta and Italy match.
00:30:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Why?
00:30:05
Alka
I mean, she'd love to live there. She's a very outdoorsy person, but I feel like the game that, I feel like if she was to go somewhere, she's got to go somewhere with like familiarity.
00:30:16
Alka
I feel like she's very much a family person. And so it would be a massive decision for her to move abroad.
00:30:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:30:24
Alka
um I would love to see her go back to the USA. She obviously did her time there before coming back to Arsenal. um That's always a good one. um
00:30:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. Fair enough. But anyway, that's great. And I wish all these girls all the best.
00:30:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I, as you said before, it's just beautiful to see like, you know, them going from one, from one team to another in a really nice way, in a super friendly way. Um, Yeah, very, very exciting time for sure. And then again, beautiful second half of the season in many leagues. But yeah, that's all about, we've got time for today. Thank you for joining us and we look forward to welcoming you to the next episode of Beyond the Pitch.
00:30:40
Alka
up