Manchester City Women's deadline-day efforts to sign two Spanish international midfielders ended in failure. The club saw bids for Fiamma Benítez and Ornella Vignola rejected, The Guardian reported on Friday.
Atlético Madrid turned down an offer exceeding £500,000 for Benítez. Everton also refused a City bid of around £400,000 for Vignola, partly due to concerns about finding a replacement in time. The club's search for midfield cover, prompted by the summer departure of Khiara Keating to Liverpool, ultimately led them to secure England goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse on loan from Orlando Pride until January.
What were Manchester City's deadline-day targets?
The primary focus was on strengthening the midfield. City targeted 22-year-old Fiamma Benítez from Atlético Madrid, a rising talent in the Spanish national setup. Their substantial bid was not enough to convince the Madrid club to sell. Simultaneously, they pursued a deal for Everton's Ornella Vignola, another Spain international. Everton's reluctance to sell without a ready replacement scuppered that move. The Guardian's report stated, "Atlético Madrid rejected a bid of more than £500,000 from Manchester City for the Spain midfielder Fiamma Benítez on the Women’s Super League’s transfer deadline day." Interest in Paris Saint-Germain's Jennifer Echegini also went nowhere, as PSG were unwilling to lose two key players in one day after selling Élisa De Almeida to Arsenal.
How does the squad look for the title defence?
Andrée Jeglertz's side retained the services of WSL Golden Boot winner Khadija Shaw on a new contract, a major boost for their attacking power. The team finished first in the FA WSL last season with 55 points from 22 games, boasting an impressive record of 18 wins, one draw, and three losses. They scored 62 goals and conceded only 19, finishing four points clear of Arsenal. Their recent form of WWLWW shows they were strong finishers. The loan addition of Anna Moorhouse provides experienced depth in goal. The full squad is now set for the campaign, which begins at home to promoted Birmingham City on Sunday.
What is Manchester City's Champions League path?
Drawn in pot three, City face a challenging League Phase schedule. They will host Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid at home, while travelling to face Bayern Munich and Inter, who were Serie A runners-up last term. Their other fixtures are an away trip to Swedish side BK Hacken and a home game against Austria Wien. The 18-team league phase, starting 22-23 September, sees each club play six matches. The top four advance directly to the quarter-finals, with teams placed fifth to 12th entering a knockout playoff in February. You can track their European campaign on our fixtures page.
How does the draw compare for other English clubs?
There are notable parallels with Chelsea's schedule. Both City and Chelsea will face PSG and Austria Wien at home and travel to BK Hacken. Arsenal, managed by Renée Slegers, have arguably the toughest draw on paper. The 2025 Champions League winners will travel to current holders Barcelona and host last season's runners-up, OL Lyonnes, as their two pot-one opponents. Chelsea also travel to Lyonnes and host Roma alongside PSG. The battle for standings in both domestic and European competition promises to be intense. The Women's Champions League final will be held in Warsaw, Poland, in May.
Manchester City Women begin their WSL title defence against Birmingham City at the Academy Stadium this Sunday.
