Saki Kumagai is already off to AS Roma, but she might not be the only departure from Bayern Munich’s back line this summer if a certain English club have their way. Icelandic reporter Bjarni Helgason has reported that Arsenal FC have made an approach for 27-year-old center-back Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir.
Via ata football:
Per @BjarniHelgason Arsenal have reached out to Bayern Munich to evaluate the possibility of signing Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir.
The 27-year-old Icelandic international had recently spoken positively about the growth and popularity of women’s football in England.
However, Gunners fans shouldn’t get their hopes up. Per Vísir, Viggósdóttir is focusing on Bayern for now, where her contract runs through 2024. However, she did indeed offer praise for the Women’s Super League:
“There is a very big rise in the English league, especially after the EC last year, and a lot of money and ambition invested in it. So it’s definitely an exciting league, but at the same time, the German league is also on the rise, with more money, spectators and interest. There is a huge difference in viewership,” Viggósdóttir is quoted as saying. “Women’s football everywhere in the world is on the rise and the English are very good at marketing themselves, so that league is prominent.
“There are very exciting years ahead in women’s football, with all these big clubs that are investing money and interest in their women’s teams.”
Viggósdóttir has been a rock for the Bavarians, remarkably going the distance in all of the club’s 22 league games in her second season — which culminated in a league title.
“I’m incredibly proud and it’s nice to get so much confidence, and to be able to let my qualities shine more than I was able to do last year,” she said, and offered some praise for coach Alexander Straus as well — who, like Viggósdóttir herself, came to Bayern by way of Norway. “This way of thinking and Scandinavian football is something that I’m used to, so I was able to help the team a lot.
“So I’m incredibly proud of this season and it’s nice that we did well as a team. That’s always the most important thing…I took on a bit more of a leadership role and really enjoyed it.”
That should be the end of that. It’s no surprise that top clubs would express interest in a player of Viggósdóttir’s quality — but equally good news for Bayern fans that she’s feeling at home in Munich.