Arsenal have signed the Netherlands midfielder Victoria Pelova from Ajax. The 23-year-old has been described by her new manager, Jonas Eidevall, as “one of the most exciting young players in the game” and takes the place in the squad of Jordan Nobbs, who has joined Aston Villa.
Pelova has 31 caps and was a member of the Netherlands squad that reached the final of the 2019 Women’s World Cup. She was also selected for the Tokyo Olympics and for last year’s European Championship.
The player joined Ajax from ADO Den Haag in 2019 and leaves after scoring 11 goals in 66 appearances. Her debut could come in a home game on Sunday week against the WSL leaders, Chelsea. Arsenal are three points behind in second place with a game in hand.
“It’s fantastic news that we’ve signed Victoria,” Eidevall said. “I think she’s one of the most exciting young players in the game and she will bring added dynamism and energy to our midfield.”
Pelova’s Netherlands colleague Vivianne Miedema is among her new teammates, though the striker faces a long period out with a knee injury. “I’ve always admired this club and dreamt of following in the footsteps of some of the great Dutch players who have worn the shirt,” said Pelova. “I can’t wait to get going.”
• This article was amended on 6 January 2023. Due to an agency captioning error, an earlier version misidentified Arsenal’s Kim Little as Katie McCabe.
