Manchester City have signed midfielder, Jill Roord from VFL Wolfsburg for a club record fee.
Roord’s move comes just two years after she left Arsenal for Wolfsburg where she scored 31 goals in 69 appearances, despite seeing a transfer request denied last summer by the club.
“Having turned down Jill’s wish for a transfer last summer, we’ve now granted her latest request,” commented Wolfsburg’s Director, Ralf Kellermann, with the club reportedly having accepted a bid of over £300k which is a club-record transfer fee paid by City.
Roord has signed a three-year deal until June 2026 and will wear the number 20 shirt, which she described as a “very proud feeling”, as she prepares for this summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup with the Netherlands.
Reflecting upon her previous thoughts of Man City during her time with Arsenal, Roord said: “I have always thought that this was a fantastic club with lots of quality, and I’m super excited to start here.
“I really like the way that they play, and I feel that it suits me perfectly. There’s a lot of quality in the team, and it’s a young side with plenty of potential which is very important to me.”
Roord added that she can’t wait to be playing domestic football in England again, as she continued: “I’ve always thought that the Women’s Super League is very competitive, so playing in England again is like a dream – I feel like I have developed a lot as a player during my time in Germany.
“In my conversations with Gareth [Taylor], I heard everything that I wanted to hear – we think the same way about football which is important, and where he sees me in the team was ideal – it is the perfect fit.
“If you play for City, you compete for everything you are involved in and that is what we will be aiming to do – with the quality we have here, anything is possible so I hope that we will be very successful together.”
City Women’s Head Coach, Taylor added that he is “very pleased” to sign an experienced player in Roord, who “has proven her worth in both England and Europe during her career so far, alongside on the international stage with the Netherlands – she is no stranger to success.”
Kellermann meanwhile explained why Wolfsburg had greenlit Roord’s move as he said: “It goes without saying that we would’ve liked to see Jill wearing our shirt again in the coming season, as we know what great qualities she has as a footballer.
Compared to a year ago however, the overall the situation is different in this transfer window, which is why our decision is also different. Taking into account the financial element of a transfer and the crucial fact of not losing her to a Champions League rival in 2023/24, we think that we have reached the best possible solution.
“We would like to thank Jill for the commitment she showed in a VfL jersey and wish her all the best for her future.”
Roord will join up with City after the Women’s World Cup has concluded depending upon Netherlands’ progress, as the Dutch find themselves in a tricky Group E alongside 2019 winners – USA, Portugal and Vietnam.
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