Arsenal Women Secure Laia Codina, Spain's World Cup-Winning Defender, in Stellar Signing

Arsenal Women have made an exciting acquisition as they welcome Laia Codina, a Barcelona Femeni and Spain World Cup-winning defender, to their team. The 23-year-old centre-back has officially joined Arsenal, following her impressive performances in the tournament in Australia. Codina played a pivotal role in Spain's success, starting four games, including the final against England where they emerged victorious with a 1-0 scoreline on August 20.

The addition of that gold medal further solidified an exceptional year for Codina and Barcelona on the domestic front. They emerged victorious in the Women's Champions League at the conclusion of the previous season and secured the Liga F title in the Spanish top flight, with a mere five points dropped over the course of 30 league games.

Expressing his enthusiasm, Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall stated, "Laia is an outstanding defender of global caliber, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with her here at Arsenal. Her exceptional technical skills combined with her physical presence make us confident that she will quickly adapt to our playing style."

With her extensive experience in playing at the highest level and clinching trophies, I am certain that she will greatly enhance our team. Codina is among the 81 players, including the entire victorious World Cup squad, who are currently boycotting playing for Spain until the criticized Spanish FA president, Luis Rubiales, steps down.

Catalonia-born defender, Codina, joined Barcelona at the age of 14 and progressed through the academy system. She made her debut in 2019 and went on to accumulate 36 appearances for the club. In the 2021/22 season, she was loaned to AC Milan, where she played an additional 19 matches.

Arsenal has officially announced that Codina will don the No 27 shirt for the team. She joins Arsenal as their fourth summer signing, alongside Amanda Ilestedt from PSG, Alessia Russo from Manchester United, and Cloe Lacasse from Benfica.

Women's Super League returns to Sky in October

Twenty out of the 23 players in England's World Cup squad are part of the Women's Super League, with 15 of them playing for top-four clubs Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United.

The Women's Super League kicks off on Sunday, October 1, featuring six matches, one of which is the live match between reigning champions Chelsea and Tottenham at 5.30 pm on We.

WSL teams have already commenced their pre-season training, anticipating the return of England players to their respective squads in the coming weeks. Once the players rejoin their clubs, they will regroup later for the Nations League. The Lionesses' victory in the European Championship last year resulted in an unprecedented surge in ticket sales for the WSL. With the upcoming World Cup campaign, there is optimism for even greater viewership and interest in the league.