Manchester City have signed Leila Ouahabi on a free transfer from Barcelona on a two-year contract until June 2024.
Ouahabi’s decision to leave Barcelona for Man City marks an end to her second spell at Barcelona after previously making 21 senior appearances between 2011-13, prior to a three-year spell at Valencia before she returned to the Catalonian club in 2016 and won 2020-21 UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Speaking to mancity.com about her move to City and Women’s Super League (WSL), Ouahabi confessed to feeling “very happy,” at getting the contract signed after looking forward for a while to securing this move.
The 29 year-old left-back also revealed that she had been monitoring City for a while as she commented: “Manchester City have always been a team that caught my eye. I like their style of football so much and the DNA of the Club is very exciting.”
On what she is expecting in the WSL, Ouahabi added: “This is going to be a completely different experience for me, and I’m really looking forward to it.
“I want to continue enjoying my football and City are a strong Club. Both personally and professionally, I think I will grow and develop here.
“I also want to keep winning trophies. I like winning and being competitive, and I am coming here to win trophies for City.”
City Women manager, Gareth Taylor is “thrilled” to sign Ouahabi as he strives to chase success and believes that her winning experience will be of benefit to the playing squad.
Taylor also noted that Ouahabi’s ability and attitude fits City’s plans moving forward following several first-team exits this summer, as he continued: “She has a vast amount of experience in high-pressured situations and will give everything she has to win, which matches our own ethos perfectly.”
Ouahabi is City’s second signing of this summer after Deyna Castellanos signed for the club this summer, following the departures of Karen Bardsley, Georgia Stanway, Jill Scott, Caroline Weir, Karima Benameur Taieb and Lucy Bronze.
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