Arsenal have confirmed the signing of 23-year-old Spanish international defender Laia Codina from Barcelona.
The centre-back was with the Catalan club from the age of 14, going on to make 32 appearances for the first team, while also playing 14 times for AC Milan during a loan spell.
She has seven caps for her country and started all four of Spain’s knock-out matches at the World Cup.
Codina told www.arsenal.com: “I’m really excited – I can’t wait to start with the team and to be a Gunner. I knew all about the history of this club so when I found out Arsenal were interested, I didn’t think twice.”
Head coach Jonas Eidevall said: “Laia is a world-class defender and I’m delighted to be working with her here at Arsenal. She has a great mix of technical ability and physical presence and we believe this will allow her to adapt to our style here quickly. She has considerable experience of playing at the highest level and winning trophies, so I’m confident that she will be an excellent addition to our squad moving forward.”
Head of Women’s Football Clare Wheatley said: “We are very pleased to have confirmed the signing of Laia on a permanent transfer. We believe Laia is a top player with plenty of potential to continue to develop and progress here with us at Arsenal. Her experience of competing on the biggest stages – as we saw at the World Cup this summer – will be invaluable as we look to achieve our objectives this season.”
