WSL champions Man City sign Lionesses star Niamh Charles from Chelsea

Women's Super League champions Manchester City have secured the signing of England defender Niamh Charles on a three-year deal. She arrives from Chelsea after a six-year spell that saw her lift 12 domestic trophies. The 27-year-old is manager Andree Jeglertz’s second summer acquisition, following fellow England forward Beth Mead . With 34 England caps, Charles was also a key figure in the Lionesses’ 2025 Euros triumph, scoring a penalty in their shootout victory against Spain in the Switzerland final. Expressing her enthusiasm for the move, Charles stated: "I’m really happy to be here and I can’t wait to get started. I’ve seen from the outside and obviously played against City over the past few years, they’ve had great success this year and I think what they’re building as a team, the players and the staff, it’s something I wanted to be a part of. “It suits me and fits me, the culture we’re building and the style of play. I just think it’s the perfect fit and hopefully we can have some good times together." The attacking full-back also shared her anticipation of playing alongside England teammate Lauren Hemp and WSL Golden Boot winner Khadija "Bunny" Shaw. Beth Mead has also joined Man City (Getty) She added: "I’m not young any more, but I would like to think my best years are ahead and I really want to spend them here and hopefully I can produce my very best. I want to be getting better every day and this is the environment to help me do that." City’s director of football, Therese Sjogran, echoed Charles’s optimism. "To add a player of Niamh’s ability and experience to our squad after the success of last season is a huge positive," Sjogran commented. "We’re all excited to see what she can bring to the squad in the coming season and, despite everything she’s already achieved in the game, firmly believe her best years are still to come." City won the league title last year by finishing four points clear of Arsenal. The Gunners also bolstered their squad on Friday as they confirmed the signing of World Cup-winning full-back Ona Batlle from Barcelona.