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Women's Football Arsenal secure signing of versatile Kemme

TABEA KEMME said she will play anywhere for Arsenal after officially joining the club today.

Kemme spent 12 years at German club Turbine Potsdam and can play in defence, midfield and up front, making her a versatile option for manager Joe Montemurro.

“It doesn’t matter for me [which position I play],” she said on the club’s official website. “It’s important for me to stay on the pitch where I can help the team make good progress in the league. I’m flexible, so it’s the decision of the coach where I will play.
 
“I met him [Montemurro] in January and we talked about Arsenal, how they want to play, and he said: ‘OK, we want to play offensive’ and that’s exactly my thing. Of course we did the same thing at Potsdam, so I know the playing style. He also said he didn’t know exactly which position I would play, so we will see.”

Kemme was part of the 2010 Potsdam side which reached the Champions League final, losing on penalties to Lyon, and won gold with Germany at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

The lure of playing in England was too good for the veteran to turn down, admitting it was time for a new challenge.

“It feels good to be an Arsenal player. It’s a great feeling. I played for 12 years in Potsdam and now I’m ready for the next step, the next challenge, my new adventure here at Arsenal.
 
“The main point for me was that I wanted to play football in another country with a new language, a new culture, another tradition.”

When she isn’t playing football, Kemme is a qualified police officer and is looking forward to finally being able to separate her work from her passion.
 
“What was also important to me was that I finished my job at my university in Potsdam, in Germany, and now I’m prepared to only play professional football. I’m going to be free so I know I have a job and when I go back [to Germany] I can go to work as normal. I feel more free to focus on football.”

Kemme is the second Potsdam player to join the Gunners this week, after Lia Walti arrived yesterday.

Having spent five years together, Walti believes Arsenal have signed a player that will slot into the side seamlessly.

“On the pitch, she’s a beast,” she said. “That’s the word. Physically she’s really, really good and nobody likes to play against her.
 
“In a one against one, she has the ball or she has the other player with a foul, she’s a really physical player who’s always fighting until the end. She never gives up and that’s what her strength is.
 
“Off the pitch, she is a calm person who is calm, who listens first and talks later. She’s a person who always stays positive. Even now, when she’s had a big injury, she always stays positive every day and I think that’s why she always reaches her goals, because she always stays calm and positive in every situation in life.”

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