Cloe Lacasse, a 31-year-old forward, joined Arsenal last summer from Benfica, where she spent four years plying her trade in Portugal.
Before her time at Benfica, the Canada international had stints with Iceland’s IBV and Toronto Lady Lynx.
Recent reports, particularly from Arseblog’s Tim Stillman, suggest that Lacasse might be on her way out of Arsenal after just one season with the club.
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States is being touted as her most likely destination.
This news comes as somewhat surprising, given that Lacasse was brought in with high hopes of bolstering Arsenal’s attacking options.
However, her impact has been mixed during her short tenure in north London.
During the 2023/24 season, Lacasse made 23 appearances across all competitions for Arsenal, managing to score five goals.
Among these was a memorable late equalizer against Manchester United, which came during only her second appearance in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
Despite the promise shown in that moment, Lacasse struggled to maintain that momentum throughout the rest of the campaign.
Her contributions were somewhat limited, and she often found herself starting games on the bench, with only a handful of starts in the WSL.
In addition to her club commitments, Lacasse was part of Canada’s squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
She made three appearances for her national team, helping them reach the quarter-finals before they were knocked out.
While her involvement in the tournament demonstrated her ongoing value at the international level, it may not have been enough to secure her place in Arsenal’s plans for the future.
Arsenal finished the 2023/24 WSL season in third place, just five points behind the champions, Chelsea, and runners-up Manchester City.
The Gunners managed to secure 16 wins from their 22 matches, narrowly missing out on the top spot in what was a fiercely competitive title race.
Despite the close finish, Arsenal has been busy in the transfer market this summer, looking to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season.
Among the notable arrivals are Mariona Caldentey, who joined on a free transfer from Barcelona, and Rosa Kafaji, recently signed from Swedish club BK Hacken.
These signings indicate Arsenal’s intention to enhance their attacking options, perhaps in anticipation of Lacasse’s potential departure.
The new season is set to kick off on Sunday, 22 September, with Arsenal facing a tough opening fixture against Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.
With the club’s recent signings and ongoing transfer activity, fans will be eager to see how Arsenal’s squad takes shape as they look to challenge for the WSL title once again.