Man City Women sign Aleixandri | 'I believe this is the best move to make'

Laia Aleixandri has signed a three-year deal with Manchester City Women.

The 21-year-old Spain defender, who made 50 appearances in all competitions for Atletico Madrid, will join City on July 1, subject to international clearance.

Aleixandri represented Spain at the U17 and U20 Women's World Cup competitions in 2016 and 2018 before making her senior debut in May 2019 against Cameroon, marking the occasion with a goal.

Speaking about her decision to join City, Aleixandri, who was named by UEFA as one of the 10 most promising young players in Europe in January 2020, said: "I am very happy to be here and to be a part of this amazing club - I am very excited for what is to come.

"Manchester City is a very big club with top players and staff, and I believe this is the best move for me to make. This is a team who likes to play with the ball and with an offensive style, and that suits me personally.

"My dream here is to win a lot of titles and to improve as a player with the help of my new teammates."

Head coach Gareth Taylor added: "Having such a talented young player as Laia join our team is a real coup for us as a club.

"Even though she is only 21, she has an incredible amount of experience under her belt for both club and country so far and it is so exciting to think about what is to come from her in the future.

"She is a player who is hungry to learn and grow, and she will certainly have the opportunity to do that here at City with the team she will have around her."

There have also been a number of outgoings at Man City this summer, with Lucy Bronze, Georgia Stanway, Caroline Weir and Jill Scott leaving the club.

On Wednesday, Man City signed Barcelona and Spain defender Leila Ouahabi on a two-year deal. The 29-year-old