Arsenal announced Friday that Tobin Heath has officially signed with the club.
The one you’ve all been waiting for…
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) September 3, 2021
Welcome to The Arsenal, @TobinHeath ❤️
The news comes following reports that Heath would be joining the club on a free transfer.
Heath comes to Arsenal after spending the past year with Manchester United. She has prior experience in Europe with Paris Saint-Germain.
“Tobin’s record speaks for itself,” said Arsenal’s head coach Jonas Eidevall. “She’s an incredibly talented player who will bring so much experience to our squad. This is an exciting time for the club, and I’m delighted we could secure Tobin’s signing as we prepare to kick off the new season at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.”
The move could be considered somewhat of a homecoming for Heath, who grew up a fan of Arsenal.
A dream come true for @TobinHeath 🤗 https://t.co/4JTkovX924 pic.twitter.com/pLPB13V562
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) September 3, 2021
It also comes after months of speculation about what the forward’s next move would be, following the announcement that both Heath and Christen Press would not be returning to Manchester United. Their NWSL rights belonged to Racing Louisville after the club secured them in November’s expansion draft.
Now-former Racing Louisville head coach Christy Holly then made headlines in July when he said the two players wouldn’t even pick up the phone and talk to them. At that time, it was reported that the two had no intention of playing for the club. Many believed that Louisville intended to flip the USWNT stars for assets.
Then in August, Press became the first player to sign with Angel City FC, further fueling speculation that Heath could follow her USWNT teammate and become a member of one of the two California NWSL clubs.
Ultimately, Heath opted to stay in England and will join Arsenal as they begin their season on Sunday against Chelsea.