Arsenal have confirmed the departure of Cloe Lacasse on a permanent transfer to NWSL side Utah Royals.
Lacasse has joined the Royals on a contract until the end of the 2027 NWSL season.
The Royals has added the 31-year-old forward to the roster by acquiring an international roster spot through to 2025 in a trade with NJ/NY Gotham FC in exchange for $100,000 in allocation money.
Lacasse spent just one season in north London after signing from Benfica last summer and made 28 appearances, scoring five goals. She also helped Jonas Eidevall’s side win the 2023-24 Continental Cup final, starting in their 1-0 win over Chelsea at Molineux.
19 of those appearances were in the Women’s Super League but just six were starts, with Caitlin Foord and Beth Mead often starting ahead of her out wide.
“We are excited to be adding a player of Cloe’s quality to our squad,” said Royals sporting director Kelly Cousins. “Her ability on the ball is world-class, but her industry on both sides of the ball speaks to her character. Her presence will be important in continuing to build our club’s culture on and off the field.”
Lacasse represented Canada at this summer’s Olympics, while also making the national team squads for the 2023 Women’s World Cup and 2024 Gold Cup during her time as an Arsenal player.
In a club statement, Arsenal said: “Everyone at Arsenal Football Club would like to thank Cloe for her contribution to the club and we wish her well for her next chapter.”
The Royals are 14th in the NWSL having won just two of their 16 games during the 2024 regular season. Head coach Amy Rodriguez was fired in June, with Jimmy Coenraets placed in interim charge for the remainder of the season.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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