Stina Blackstenius was part of the Sweden squad that won silver at the Olympics last summer and was part of the side that beat England in the third/fourth place play-off at the 2019 World Cup; striker also held talks with Manchester United as well as clubs in the Champions League
Saturday 15 January 2022 13:02, UK
Arsenal have signed Sweden striker Stina Blackstenius.
The 25-year old - who will wear the No 25 shirt at her new club - joins as a free agent after leaving Swedish club BK Hacken.
Blackstenius was part of the Sweden squad that won silver at the Tokyo Olympics last summer and the 2016 Games in Rio.
The striker was also part of the Sweden side that beat England in the third/fourth place play-off at the 2019 World Cup.
Blackstenius told Arsenal's website: "It feels amazing to be here. I'm so happy to join such a big and great club like Arsenal.
"I got a really good first impression about this club. They play really good football and I wanted to be a part of that. I feel like I can become a better player in this environment."
Jonas Eidevall, the Arsenal head coach, expressed his delight at Blackstenius' arrival, saying: "She is a world-class talent who will add even more quality to our team.
"Her game is well-suited to the style we are implementing here at Arsenal and I'm confident that she will take her game to an even higher level here with us."
Blackstenius also held talks with Manchester United, as well as clubs outside of the Women's Super League that are competing in the Champions League, before choosing to join Arsenal.
Blackstenius won two Swedish titles and three Swedish cups during her time with Hacken and Linkopings FC in her homeland, while she was also the top scorer in Sweden last year.
Who will be on the move in January?
The January transfer window opens on Saturday January 1, 2022 and closes at 11pm on Monday January 31.
Keep up-to-date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
