Arsenal are right to loan out England's Euros hero Michelle Agyemang - Lionesses teenager is better off at Brighton than on the Gunners bench

No one announced themselves at the 2025 European بطولة quite like Michelle Agyemang. The 19-year-old was a relative unknown in her own country, never mind on the continent, before the tournament got underway. Her efforts in سويسرا, though, would help propel إنجلترا to a successful title defence, while securing individual glory for herself in the form of the Best Young Player award and a spot on the list of nominees for the Kopa Trophy, announced last week.

Yet, as the focus starts to turn towards the new club season, many who watched Agyemang rifle in vital goals against Sweden and Italy in the Euro 2025 quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively, will have been surprised to see the Mirror report that أرسنال are in discussions with Brighton about sending the teenager back on loan to the south coast, where she spent the last campaign, rather than factoring her into their own first-team plans for the coming year. This is just a few weeks after Agyemang showed incredible composure in front of goal and all-round quality to be a regular game-changer for one of the best وطني teams in the women’s game.

But while this summer was certainly an indication that the striker would be capable of making an impact at Arsenal this season, the right move for Agyemang, the Gunners and even England right now is another temporary switch.

No one announced themselves at the 2025 European Championship quite like Michelle Agyemang. The 19-year-old was a relative unknown in her own country, never mind on the continent, before the tournament got underway. Her efforts in Switzerland, though, would help propel England to a successful title defence, while securing individual glory for herself in the form of the Best Young Player award and a spot on the list of nominees for the Kopa Trophy, announced last week.

Yet, as the focus starts to turn towards the new club season, many who watched Agyemang rifle in vital goals against Sweden and Italy in the Euro 2025 quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively, will have been surprised to see the Mirror report that Arsenal are in discussions with Brighton about sending the teenager back on loan to the south coast, where she spent the last campaign, rather than factoring her into their own first-team plans for the coming year. This is just a few weeks after Agyemang showed incredible composure in front of goal and all-round quality to be a regular game-changer for one of the best national teams in the women’s game.

That might be a baffling concept for some. After all, Agyemang has exploded into this Lionesses’ side over the last few months, scoring 41 seconds into her debut against بلجيكا back in April before adding another couple of goals during the Euros. That in itself was a defiance of the odds, so why couldn’t she make a similar mark at Arsenal?

Adding to the case to keep Agyemang with the Gunners is that she seemed to work in tandem with Alessia Russo, the starting No.9 for both England and the north London club. While Russo offers one thing, Agyemang offers something quite different, making the substitution of Agyemang for Russo particularly impactful. The pair also played effectively in a front two against both فرنسا and Sweden, when England needed a goal. That could be something for Renee Slegers, the Arsenal boss, to take note of.

But the Gunners primarily play with one starting centre-forward, and that is almost always Russo. Agyemang, who has one season of top-flight football under her belt, is not going to get ahead of the 26-year-old in that pecking order at this moment.

It’s hard to overstate just how much Arsenal value Russo in their system and this team. She is integral to the way they press, the way the attack works as a whole and she has just had the best season of her senior career, one which was key to the Gunners’ somewhat surprising دوري أبطال أوروبا انتصار.

Agyemang’s minutes, then, would largely come from the bench, with some starts here and there when Slegers opted to rotate.

And even then, Agyemang would still have competition to be second in the centre-forward pecking order, as Stina Blackstenius has been an important factor at Arsenal over the past three years. The Swede’s winner in the Champions League final was the latest in a long line of important goals in the Gunners’ colours, with her also the decisive scorer in the League Cup triumph last year.

In a similar manner to how Agyemang offered something different to Russo for England this summer, Blackstenius has allowed Arsenal to look at a change in approach or style over the last couple of years. As such, while both are different players in many ways, Agyemang and Blackstenius would likely be competing for a similar role in the Arsenal squad, thus sharing the minutes given to a second striker.

Those minutes haven’t been easy for Blackstenius to come by either, despite her regular heroics. She played just 739 in the league last season, compared to Russo’s 1,686.

Compare that to what Agyemang could get on loan at Brighton. Admittedly, when there last season, the teenager didn’t accumulate too much game time, with 596 minutes played across 17 WSL appearances. But that was her first year in the top-flight, which is an important factor, and she was adapting into the unique style of play under Dario Vidosic. His 3-4-3 system also had Agyemang in wider areas at time, which required further adjustment.

By the end of the campaign though, the 19-year-old had pushed her way into the XI, with her only three WSL starts all coming in succession to close the season. The departure of Nikita Parris, who has joined newly-promoted London City Lionesses from the Seagulls, opens up a space in the front line which Agyemang could fill, too.

It’s hard to imagine Arsenal would be willing to sanction a loan to Brighton if they cannot offer their teenage starlet more game time, anyway. If such a promise can be given, Agyemang will be returning to a system, a team and a manager that she knows well in what feels like a great place for her development to continue.

It would be great news for England and Sarina Wiegman if Agyemang were to become a regular starter in the WSL next season, too. The difference the teenager made for the Lionesses at the Euros was a glimpse at what she could offer for her country for the next 10 years or so – but it’s vital for her to play plenty of football in order to continue to take steps in the right direction.

It’s also important for Agyemang to keep progressing and improving in order to earn opportunities with the Lionesses. After all, while all three are very different players, there is plenty of competition for places when it comes to England’s No.9 role, between Russo, Agyemang and Aggie Beever-Jones, whose minutes at تشيلسي continue to go up and up.

So while Arsenal fans might have hoped to see more of Agyemang in red and white this season, another loan move to Brighton appears to be the kind of transfer that suits all parties.

The Gunners will benefit in the long-term from their teenage striker getting more exposure to WSL football than she would otherwise in north London, as will Agyemang. Brighton, meanwhile, get a game-changing talent who understands Vidosic’s style and, after a breakout Euros, appears primed for a big, big season at club level.

And, after all, if it does all go through, it could play a big role in Arsenal fans getting to enjoy this wonderfully gifted forward for many years to come.