Spanish international defender Laia Aleixandri has become the latest player to agree a deal to join Manchester City.
Aleixandri, 21, can play at centre back or right back and will join the club from Atlético Madrid on July 1 along with team mate Deyna Castellanos.
She joined the Barcelona youth setup at age 12 and moved into their B team in 2015 before being snapped up by Atleti in the summer of 2017.
The defender has gone on to make just under 50 appearances in all competitions for the club, playing UEFA Women’s Champions League football whilst with the Primera Division outfit.
On the international scene, Aleixandri represented her homeland at the Under-17s FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2016 and the same competition for the Under-20s in 2018 before making her senior debut in May 2019 against Cameroon, marking the occasion with a goal.
And in January 2020, she was named by UEFA as one of the ten most promising young players in Europe.
City’s third summer signing, Aleixandri will wear the No.4 shirt for Gareth Taylor’s side.
Speaking about her decision to join City, Aleixandri 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.”