Manchester City have had three key stars announce their departures this summer and it could impact the club’s ability to compete at the top of the Women’s Super League.
Georgia Stanway, Caroline Weir and Lucy Bronze are all heading out the door in a season where the club won the Continental League Cup, reached the FA Cup final and finished third in the WSL.
The three players were central to propelling City’s campaign after a catastrophic start. The club had their worst opening to a WSL season, mainly down to injuries to key stars like Bronze, but they revitalised their campaign. This was in part due to Weir’s wonder goals - particularly her winners against Manchester United - Stanway’s consistency in front of goal to become the team’s all-time leading scorer and Bronze’s reliability in defence.
And while City will miss their dependancy on Weir and Stanway to deliver on the scoresheet, the biggest blow is Bronze. The side suffered irreparably when she was injured at the start of the season and she made a difference to results when she was back on the field.
But that isn’t where the bleeding stops for City. Karen Bardsley is retiring, Karima Benameur Taieb and Jill Scott are leaving and there are whispers clubs are circling to poach Keira Walsh.
The Sky Blues team is full of England players and has a rich history of winning trophies. So why are so many stars leaving? It’s the question on everyone’s lips and no answer has been concrete as of yet.
Some believe it is down to the new management. Gareth Taylor took over City in 2020 from Nick Cushing. The reason could be true of Stanway and Weir as they were already at the club when the transition happened but Bronze returned to City in 2020 and was brought back in by Taylor.
Another suggestion is contract talks didn’t get underway in time and others believe it’s the temptation of playing abroad which has seen them leave.
But whatever the reason, losing the players means City may potentially not be as competitive next campaign.
The 21/22 season has been the most thrilling yet with the trophy being decided on the last day. Chelsea won it for a third season in a row but Arsenal finished up just a point behind them. Fans were gearing up for a 22/23 campaign where Arsenal, Chelsea, City and United could all be vying for the crown but with City losing stars the exciting opportunity for the league could be cut.
Of course another battle between the Gunners and the Blues would be one to feast on and with United developing they would definitely be in the mix. But supporters want as much competition as possible, so to see City slump again would be a frustration.
The WSL transfer window doesn’t open until 17 June with City expected to recruit stars which will boost their competitive edge. They also still have a wealth of talent with the likes of Lauren Hemp, Ellen White, Chloe Kelly and Bunny Shaw on their team sheets.
But losing huge names in a short space of time isn’t a good look for the club, especially as their main rivals have managed to retain their biggest stars.
There had been a lot of speculation around where Vivianne Miedema would be playing next season. Barcelona were among the clubs courting the record-breaking striker but Arsenal have agreed a contract extension with the star. It is arguably the biggest deal extension in the WSL’s history and it’s a credit to the Gunners that Miedema wants to remain at the club, especially as the side haven’t won a trophy in the past few seasons.
Chelsea have also nailed down their player of the moment Sam Kerr. The Australian captain, who won WSL player of the year, goal of the year and the Golden Boot, re-signed for Emma Hayes’ side in November and will remain at Chelsea until 2024.
There is now pressure on the upcoming transfer window for City and despite all the questions circling the club, Taylor has said the “future is bright”.
After their FA Cup final defeat to Chelsea, the boss said: “We are disappointed but we know we can do it. We know we’re there and we have areas to improve. We have a lot of good young talent coming through at the club so the future is bright.”
Time will tell if they bounce back from the exodus but with holes in City’s squad, the club could be about to enter an era they will want to forget.
