Manchester City Women have signed Barcelona and Spain defender Leila Ouahabi on a two-year deal.
The 29-year-old will officially join the club on July 1, subject to international clearance.
Ouahabi has been a driving force behind success for Barcelona and Spain. She joined the Catalan club in 2016, winning five Primera Division titles, seven Copa de la Reinas, two Supercopa Femeninas, three Copa Catalunyas and one Women’s Champions League after Barcelona beat Chelsea in 2021.
Making her senior international debut for Spain in February 2016, she helped them win the Algarve Cup the following year – scoring the winning goal against Canada. Ouahabi also was also part of a historic Spanish Women’s World Cup team in 2019, where they progressed past the group stages for the first time before losing to USA in the round of 16.
Speaking about her move to Manchester, Ouahabi said: “I am very happy. I was looking forward to this moment and I am really happy now it is all done.
“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. 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.
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“I also want to keep winning trophies. I like winning and being competitive, and I am coming here to win trophies for City.”
Head coach Gareth Taylor added: “Leila is a player who has become accustomed to success throughout her career, and we’re thrilled that she has joined us in a bid to continue that here 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.
“She is a player who we have admired for a long time given her standing in the game and to finally have secured her signature is incredibly exciting.