Georgia Stanway's Arsenal Move Marked by New Tattoo

Georgia Stanway's move to Arsenal has already left a permanent mark—literally. The England midfielder, who joined from Bayern Munich last month, revealed her signing with a video showing her getting the words 'Whatever the weather' tattooed on her right arm. The phrase is a lyric from the club's anthem, 'North London Forever.'

For the 27-year-old, adding to her body art is nothing new. Stanway estimates she has close to 200 tattoos and has also developed her own skills as a tattoo artist. Her clients include England teammate Beth Mead, who recently left Arsenal for Manchester City. Despite her growing portfolio, Stanway shows no signs of slowing down when it comes to customizing her own skin.

"You see the tattoos—I see the skin," she said. "So much more to come!"

A High-Profile Transfer

Stanway's arrival at Arsenal on a free transfer is one of the most notable moves of the Women's Super League (WSL) transfer window. She spent four trophy-laden years with Bayern Munich and has won two European Championship titles with England. A key figure in Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses, Stanway told the Women's Football Weekly podcast that her time in the Bundesliga has transformed her as a player.

"I've massively changed as a player and as a person," she said. "I've got more comfortable with myself and I enjoy my own time a lot more. Munich also gave me the opportunity to develop a position and to figure out how I wanted to play with trust and expectation from the manager."

Now at Emirates Stadium, Stanway is in her prime and ready to help Arsenal challenge for their first WSL title since 2018-19. She says that once she learned of Arsenal's interest, there was no other club in contention for her signature.

"I knew I wanted to take the next step," she explained. "I really like the fact Arsenal came in for me when I wasn't available. It's a really nice feeling to be wanted. What Arsenal are building within England, within the WSL, within Europe, is something I want to be part of. It's setting the standard with women's football."

Adjusting to London Life

Last season, Arsenal finished second to Manchester City, Stanway's former club. This summer, the club has undergone significant changes, with Mead among those departing and seven new signings arriving. Notable additions include Barcelona and Spain full-back Ona Batlle, Switzerland midfielder Geraldine Reuteler, and young forward Lisa Baum—the latter two also coming from German football.

"It's a little bit of a new chapter," Stanway said. "A lot of quality has come in. Arsenal obviously went hunting in the Bundesliga, which is a league that sometimes goes under the radar. From the outside, everybody wants to be a part of Arsenal and what they're about to create."

While excited about her football ambitions, Stanway admits that living in London presents a new challenge. Having grown up in the Cumbrian town of Barrow-in-Furness, she concedes that being in the capital "will take a little bit of adjusting."

"I'm a bit of a homebody and I'm so used to everything being so local," she said. "I've already said to the girls about places being so far away and they're like, 'It's only an hour.' I like little things within the countryside, I like farms, so I don't think I'll be in the city too much!"

For more on Arsenal's summer, including interviews with Stanway, Renee Slegers, and Lotte Wubben-Moy, listen to the Women's Football Weekly podcast.