Arsenal has signed Spanish goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez on a free transfer, the club’s sixth addition of the summer. The 27-year-old former Real Madrid captain joins the Women’s Super League side to bolster a goalkeeping unit that faced significant injury challenges last season, as the team prepares for the 2026-27 campaign.
A Record-Breaking Arrival in North London
Arsenal confirmed the signing of Misa Rodriguez, who arrives at the club following the expiration of her contract with Real Madrid. The goalkeeper brings significant experience to the squad, having set a record for the most appearances in Real Madrid’s history with 215 games played over a six-year tenure. During her final year in Spain, she also served as the club’s captain.
Rodriguez, who will wear the number 16 shirt, expressed enthusiasm regarding her move to England. I'm so proud to join this great club,
she said in a statement released by Arsenal’s official website. Arsenal is one of the top clubs in the world and I'm really excited to be part of the team and take on this new challenge. I want to help us compete for trophies and make more history, together with our supporters.
Strengthening the Goalkeeping Unit
The acquisition addresses a specific depth issue for Arsenal. Last season, the club’s goalkeeping department was hampered by injuries to both Daphne van Domselaar and Anneke Borbe. The team’s depth had previously been tested; Manuela Zinsberger suffered an ACL injury in October, leading to the January loan signing of Barbora Votikova. Zinsberger left the club at the end of last season when her contract expired, as did academy graduate goalkeeper Naomi Williams, while Votikova returned to her parent club, Slavia Prague.
For more on this story, see Arsenal Open Talks for Bruno Guimarães Amidst £75m Newcastle Valuation Gap.
Renee Slegers welcomed the addition. Misa is a top goalkeeper who has performed consistently at a high level for several years,
Slegers stated. As well as her technical attributes, she has great presence and communication on the pitch and we believe she'll be a strong addition to our goalkeeping unit, alongside Daphne, Anneke and Isabella.
Rodriguez will compete for minutes alongside Van Domselaar—the Netherlands’ No. 1, who has been first-choice for the Gunners since arriving from Aston Villa in 2024—and Borbe, who signed from Wolfsburg last summer and proved a capable option during injury absences. The squad also includes fellow summer signing Isabella Damm.
International Stakes and Squad Depth
Rodriguez’s move carries significant personal stakes. Since making her senior international debut in 2021, she has earned 34 caps for Spain, including three appearances during the team’s successful 2023 Women’s World Cup campaign. She is currently vying with Barcelona’s Cata Coll for the starting role in the national team. With a World Cup approaching, the need for regular playing time is a primary factor for the goalkeeper. When she was unable to secure minutes at Real Madrid at the start of last season, she was dropped by Spain head coach Sonia Bermudez, an outcome she will be keen to avoid as she looks ahead to the tournament in Brazil next year.
This follows our earlier report, Chelsea Sign Melvine Malard from Manchester United on Four-Year Contract.
Her arrival marks a busy transfer window for the Gunners, who are building their squad for the 2026-27 season after a campaign that saw them finish second in the Women’s Super League and reach the semi-finals of the Women’s Champions League. While initial reports noted her as the sixth signing of the summer, further club records identify her as the seventh signing overall, joining a list of recruits that includes Isabella Damm, Georgia Stanway, Ona Batlle, Selina Cerci, Geraldine Reuteler, and Lisa Baum. Rodriguez also represents the fourth free transfer made by the club this summer, following the arrivals of Stanway, Batlle, and Reuteler.
Worth a look
