Manchester City have signed the Spain defender Leila Ouahabi from Barcelona on a two-year contract. The 29-year-old’s arrival was announced shortly after Chelsea said they had brought in the versatile France defender Ève Périsset.
Ouahabi will join City on 1 July after her deal at Barcelona expires. She has spent her whole career with the Catalan club from the age 13 other than a three-year spell at Valencia between 2013 and 2016 and has won multiple trophies, including the 2021 Champions League.
The left-back is approaching 50 Spain caps and is expected to be in the squad for this summer’s Euros in England. “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,” said City’s manager, Gareth Taylor.
Ouahabi is City’s second signing inside a week, after the Venezuela international Deyna Castellanos, who is joining from Atlético Madrid. A number of established players are leaving in a summer of change, including Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway, Caroline Weir, Jill Scott and Karen Bardsley.
Ouahabi said: “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. This is going to be a completely different experience for me, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Périsset, who has a three-year contract at Chelsea, has been selected for the Euros and is training with France. The 27-year-old arrives from Bordeaux and has previously been with Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain. She can operate in both full-back positions and in midfield and has 34 caps.
“With her mentality and professionalism, we have no doubt she will complement the group well,” said Chelsea’s manager, Emma Hayes.
Périsset said: “It’s a fantastic honour to join Chelsea and to be the first French female player to become a Blue.”
