Manchester United, Arsenal and the battle for Mary Earps

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Fresh off being crowned Sports Personality of the Year, it won’t be long before different headlines begin swirling surrounding Mary Earps.

The goalkeeper has had a superb year, enhancing her reputation as the finest shot-stopper in women’s football having won the Golden Glove at the Women’s World Cup and now the BBC’s coveted end-of-year award.

The 30-year-old was a vital cog in the England side that made it all the way to the final where the Lionesses would eventually fall short, losing 1-0 to Spain in heartbreaking fashion despite Earps making a heroic penalty save in the second half.

England’s boss Sarina Weigman has dubbed her “crucial” and a “top, top keeper” for the national team and the same could be said for her role at Manchester United. But that long-term future at her current club is under threat after sustained interest from WSL rivals Arsenal; interest that is only going to increase when the transfer window reopens next month.

Arsenal have already tried to lure Earps away from United, making a world-record bid for the shot-stopper in August, earlier this year. United turned down the bid and Earps subsequently stayed at United – where she has spent the last four seasons since signing from Wolfsburg in 2019 – but head coach Marc Skinner and the team’s hierarchy will face a battle to keep her at the club past this season, and even January.

Earps has just six months left on her current deal, meaning the Fifa Best Women’s Goalkeeper could leave on a free transfer at the end of this season. The keeper has reportedly been in negotiations with United for a number of months now but no agreement has been reached.

Having turned down that world-record bid earlier in the season from Arsenal, United hope they can convince the 30-year-old to change her mind and agree to sign a contract extension. If not, they may face the prospect of having to sell their star asset when the window reopens next month or let her leave for nothing next summer.

United were faced with a similar situation last summer when dealing with the contract of fellow England international, Alessia Russo. Having rejected a world-record bid of £500,000 from Arsenal on the eve of the January transfer window deadline, the Manchester club then saw the 24-year-old leave for free at the end of the season and join the north London side.

They will undoubtedly want to avoid that same fate again and Skinner remains confident that the club can do just that.

“The club are working through with Mary [Earps] on what the deal looks like,” Skinner revealed last week. “I sit here hopeful. I think the talks are exactly where it was. It’s with the club to continue with that. I can’t be any more clear that I want Mary to stay at this club.

“She’s a huge part of what I want to do and build here but we’ll continue to have those conversations. I haven’t really got an update yet.”

Earps has not publically spoken out about the interest from Arsenal or her long-term future at the club but reports suggest the England number one was keen on the move earlier in the year. Talks between United and Arsenal are said to have not recommenced since then but United’s summer deadline-day acquisition of American keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce from US side OL Reign may suggest they have already begun to prepare for life without their star keeper.

For now, the window is still shut and the focus remains on the WSL season. United suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to rivals Liverpool last weekend to leave them four points off Arsenal and seven of league leader Chelsea. Having finished second last season – two points behind eventual winners Chelsea – they may well need to produce a similar title challenge to try and convince Earps to stay.

Providing she does not sign a contract extension before the new year, January will provide the next test of United’s mettle. Having failed to recoup a fee for Russo last year, they may well be forced to cash in on their keeper this time around. Should that be the case, Arsenal will come calling.