England international and Lionesses midfielder Georgia Stanway has opened up about her move to Arsenal, following the club’s official announcement of her signing on Friday morning. The transfer marks the end of Stanway’s four-year spell in Germany with Bayern Munich. She has now explained her reasons for returning to England and why Arsenal was her preferred choice, despite interest from Chelsea and Lyon.

Stanway was presented as an Arsenal player on Friday, signing what sources close to the club report is a three-year contract, with an option to extend for an additional year. The transfer had been widely anticipated after the 27-year-old confirmed back in January that she would leave Bayern following her fourth season with the club.

Speaking about her decision to leave Germany, Stanway said that while her time in Munich was both successful and enjoyable, she began reflecting on 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 recognition, I get the congratulations — but I have nobody to share it with because I’m the only English person there. What I experience with the Lionesses is something I want to experience all the time.”

Stanway also pointed out that while Bayern Munich have enjoyed enormous success — including four consecutive Bundesliga titles, two domestic trebles, and a run to the Champions League semi-finals this season, their best in five years — she felt the level of competition in Germany was not as intense as elsewhere. Bayern lost only two league matches during her four seasons there. She explained that she wanted “to be in a more competitive league, where it’s high pressure and high demands constantly.”

The Women’s Super League (WSL), widely considered Europe’s most competitive league, offered exactly that. With clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United all fighting for major honours, and teams such as Brighton and Tottenham reaching FA Cup finals in recent years, Stanway saw it as the right environment to push herself further. Another key factor was the opportunity for her family to watch her play more regularly. “I wanted to be where my family could come to most games,” she added.

According to reports, Lyon, the eight-time European champions, also expressed strong interest in signing Stanway. However, her desire to return home meant her final decision came down to Arsenal and Chelsea. “It was really difficult between Arsenal and Chelsea. They were both very impressive,” Stanway admitted. “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 also had quiet conversations with fellow players during the process, including her close friends — Chelsea’s Keira Walsh and Arsenal’s 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,” she explained.

In the end, it was Arsenal’s consistent interest that proved decisive. The Gunners were the first club to approach her, which Stanway described as “massive.” She was also excited about the chance to play alongside club captain Kim Little and Spanish midfielder Mariona Caldentey, who finished runner-up in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting. “I would love to play with Kim and Mariona,” she said. “Kim is still unbelievable, but she’s not going to play forever.”

Stanway also highlighted the style of play at Arsenal and how clearly she could envision her role within the team. She felt a strong sense of belonging during discussions with the club, something she had heard about often from Williamson. “And now I’m part of it,” she said. “It feels a little surreal.”

Her commitment to the move was captured in a unique way — with her unveiling accompanied by a video of her getting a tattoo that reads ‘whatever the weather’, a line from the song ‘North London Forever’, which is sung before every Arsenal home match at the Emirates Stadium. “I do believe this was the best move I could have made for my football and life,” Stanway said.