Column: Jodie Taylor a no lose situation for both parties

Jodie Taylor has returned to Arsenal for a second spell at the age of 36 and while it looks unspectacular, there's nothing to lose for either party in the short-term

Jodie Taylor is back in the WSL after five years in the USA. Image: Arsenal FC

Many eyebrows were raised when Arsenal announced the signing of (for the second time) former England international Jodie Taylor late last week.

Taylor, who is now 36, joins after a year playing under Casey Stoney at the San Diego Wave in the NWSL where she scored one league goal, and it’s her first return to English soil since leaving the Gunners in 2018 after a spell which saw her score seven league goals in just 12 appearances.

Since then, Taylor has represented OL Reign and Orlando Pride, as well as the Wave, across the pond and has spent a good chunk of her career splitting duties between America and Australia rather than the Women’s Super League.

Taylor is no doubt approaching the end of her playing career and it’s a no frills signing for Jonas Eidevall, but essentially for now it fills a gap until the summer.

The move raises different questions regarding both the short-term and long-term questions surrounding Arsenal’s attacking options after Eidevall and the club failed to sign any of their intended targets in the January window.

It means in the short-term, and given Taylor can’t play in Europe and Arsenal out of the FA Cup, it’s very short-term, just eight league games in fact, it’s an absolute nothing to lose deal for either party.

Arsenal haven’t paid a fee and one images the wages aren’t high for a 36-year-old forward. If Taylor scores even one goal before the end of the season, it’s one more than they would have got without her.

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If she doesn’t score at all, they are no worse off, and at the very least have a seasoned international who is a former European Championship golden boot winner to offer experience and guidance to the younger players in the Arsenal attack.

Victoria Pelova is the veteran of the new arrivals at 23, while Gio Queiroz and Kathrine Kuhl are both just 19 and will gain valuable experience from someone like Taylor. In this respect, it reminds me a little of Manchester United’s signing of Rachel Williams last summer.

Williams has in fact found the net several times, none more importantly when she showed her experience and calmness to fire home a crucial late winner away at Reading in the league. If Taylor gets anywhere near a moment like that, it makes the signing worthwhile.

So while in the short-term there’s very much nothing to lose and everything to gain for both parties, it does bring back the questions over Arsenal’s failure to recruit in the January window.

With Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema both ruled out with long-term ACL injuries, Arsenal had a whole month to find an out and out forward and despite attempts for at least three of them, they managed none.

Debinha, Cloe Lacasse, Signe Bruun and finally an ambitious last-minute attempt for Alessia Russo fell by the wayside, leading them to where they are now, the free signing of a forward who hasn’t played in the league since 2018 on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

It’s unlikely Taylor will extend her stay beyond that – though who knows if she does well? – and it gives Arsenal respite until the summer when they will undoubtedly need to go out and find the player they failed to find two months ago.

But until then, this is a signing which while on paper looks uninspiring for a club of Arsenal’s stature, may just make the best of senses for both parties for the next two months.