Arsenal sign Canadian forward Lacasse

The Arsenal women's team has confirmed the signing of Canadian forward Cloe Lacasse in a permanent deal.

Lacasse, 29, joins Arsenal after a four-year stint with Portuguese club Benfica.

Lacasse's football journey began in her homeland of Canada, transitioning to the USA to play college football with the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2011.

She moved to Europe in 2015 when she signed for Icelandic team IBV. During her tenure with IBV, she clinched the Icelandic League Cup in 2016 and later the Icelandic Women's Football Cup in 2017.

In 2019, Lacasse transitioned to Benfica, where she notched up an exceptional tally of 102 goals in 131 games. Her stellar performances contributed to three Portuguese league titles, three Portuguese League Cups, and two Portuguese Super Cups for the team.

She earned the title of the league's top scorer in the 2019/20 season and was recognized as the league's Player of the Year at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Internationally, Lacasse has earned 19 caps for the Canadian national team, scoring one goal. She is also part of the Canadian squad for the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

Speaking about her move, Lacasse stated, “I’m super excited and enthusiastic to get started here. I feel ready mentally and physically to be able to contribute here and win titles and I feel that this club has everything it takes to compete for the highest honours. I want to go to the next level and score goals here for Arsenal.”

Jonas Eidevall, the head coach, expressed his satisfaction with the new signing.

He said, “I’m really pleased that we have signed Cloe to strengthen our forward line here at Arsenal. Cloe is a proven goalscorer and has shown her quality over a number of seasons in two European leagues as well as the Champions League. She will add a different dimension to our attacking game and I’m looking forward to working with her.”

Clare Wheatley, Head of Women’s Football, echoed this sentiment. “Cloe is a player we have been monitoring for some time so we’re delighted to have completed this signing. Cloe’s record is very impressive and we believe she has the right qualities to slot straight into our playing style here at Arsenal. I’m sure our supporters will be excited to see Cloe in the red and white.”

Quotes credits: www.arsenal.com