UNC Soccer: Lotte Wubben-Moy signs for Arsenal

Lotte Wubben-Moy has left Chapel Hill and returned to London. She has signed with Arsenal, the club where she made her professional debut aged 16, before taking a hiatus to study and play at Carolina. With the uncertainty of college sports in the fall, the time was right for Lotte (not pronounced like the Korean conglomerate, but like how many Chick-Fil-A nuggets you want to eat) to return to her club and reignite her professional and international career.

In addition to signing for Arsenal, Lotte was called up to Phil Neville’s England squad, her first call-up to the senior team. Lotte had previously captained the England Under-17s team in the FIFA Women’s U17 World Cup, where England reached the quarterfinals. Being involved in the England senior team is a big deal, even if she isn’t capped (starting or coming on as a substitute in an actual match, versus practicing with the squad or being an unused substitute in an actual match) during this period of her footballing career. Capped players command higher wages and transfer fees in professional football overseas.

Lotte was an important player for Anson Dorrance. She gained prominence in each of her three seasons at Carolina, where she started as a defender all three years. In an interview with Arsenal Media, she said that when she left the club at 18 to attend college in Chapel Hill she “found herself” at an institution as amazing as UNC, got to work with a legend in Anson Dorrance, and returns to London as a woman ready for her next challenge. Eagle-eyed Tar Heels will notice a Rameses Coca-Cola bottle on the shelf over Lotte’s right shoulder.

The Arsenal women’s team is historically one of the strongest teams in English football, having last won the league two seasons ago in 2018-19. Arsenal play an attractive, attacking style that allows its players to express themselves on the pitch. Their most well known stars are forwards and attacking midfielders, like Vivianne Miedema, Daniëlle van de Donk, and newcomer Jill Roord, all of whom are Dutch. Coincidentally, Lotte’s father is from the Netherlands and she is fluent in Dutch.

Where Arsenal are short on bodies is central defense. Lotte will immediately fill a position of need, and at an imposing 5-foot-10, she’ll have presence on the pitch. Lotte is no stone-footed defender, as she has played in midfield and has touch and skill that could easily link defense to attack. Check out this exquisite goal against Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament:

As a Gooner myself, it’s nice to see a Tar Heel go to North London to play for my “favourite” club, Arsenal. It saddened me to see Carolina great Tobin Heath sign with Manchester United, where she’ll join another English Tar Heel, Alessia Russo. USWNT star Alex Morgan just signed with hated North London neighbor, Tottenham Hotspur. With all of that attacking talent in the WSL, Lotte Wubben-Moy won’t have any dull moments. With her skill set finely tuned at Carolina, she’ll be just what Arsenal needs to reclaim the WSL title and make moves in the European Champions League.