Russo to leave Manchester United

Alessia Russo will leave Manchester United upon the expiry of her contract at the end of the month, the Premier League club said on Friday.

The 24-year-old England forward joined United in 2020 and has made 59 appearances in all competitions, netting 26 times.

Her contributions were pivotal in United's success during the 2022-23 season, where Marc Skinner's side finished second in the Women's Super League and secured qualification for the Champions League for the first time.

"Everyone at the football club would like to thank Alessia for her service and wish her luck for the future," United said in a statement.

Russo, who won the European Championships with England last year, is linked with a move to Arsenal. According to British media, Arsenal had made a record bid for Russo earlier this year but it was rejected by United.

(This story has been refiled to remove the erroneous word 'the' in paragraph 3, and change 'liked' to 'linked' in paragraph 5)