Hasegawa deal a big move for Man City – analysispublished at 11:11 British Summer Time
11:11 BST
Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
With the WSL transfer market developing at a rapid rate and fees growing considerably with each window, Manchester City have been smart.
Yui Hasegawa is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world and is integral to Manchester City’s style of play.
By tying her down for the next four years, City have ensured they either keep her world-class qualities, or they receive decent money for her should a rival come in.
Hasegawa quickly grew into a fan-favourite and she seemlessly filled the void left by England international Keira Walsh when she joined Barcelona for a then-world record transfer fee of £400,000 in 2022.
It is a huge boost for City that she sees potential to win silverware despite them failing to qualify for this season’s Women’s Champions League and it is also a significant nod of confidence for new manager Andrée Jeglertz.
City have pulled out all the stops to make her feel welcome in Manchester, bringing in Asian food specialists to produce high-quality matchday-1 meals for the Japanese players and translators to help them develop their English.