Manchester City have moved to reinforce their title-winning back line with the signing of Germany international full-back Carlotta Wamser from Bayer Leverkusen on a four-year deal.
The 22-year-old, comfortable on both the left and right flank, becomes City’s third major arrival of the summer, following defender Niamh Charles from Chelsea and forward Beth Mead from Arsenal. It is another clear statement that the WSL champions have no intention of standing still.
A timely addition for injury-hit champions
City’s defensive options have been stretched before a ball is even kicked in their title defence. Charles is among a clutch of absentees that also includes Grace Clinton, Vivianne Miedema, Jade Rose and Laura Wienroither. The squad has quality, but depth has been tested early.
So Wamser’s arrival lands at exactly the right moment. A full-back who can operate on either side offers tactical flexibility and immediate cover in an area where City could ill afford another setback. With the champions opening their campaign at home to Birmingham City on Sunday, she joins not as a luxury, but as a necessity.
Wamser arrives from Leverkusen, whom she joined from Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer in July 2025, and brings with her a strong pedigree from the German system. She has 14 senior caps and was part of the Germany side that lifted the Under-17 European Championship in 2019, a grounding that has shaped many of the country’s modern internationals.
“The perfect step”
The defender has wasted no time underlining why she chose Manchester.
“I had a perfect welcome here and I already feel very good here and I look forward to my time here in Manchester,” she said, speaking after the deal was confirmed. For a player still at the start of her prime years, the move is clearly about pushing herself into a higher gear.
“The English league is the best league in the world and Manchester City is one of the best clubs in the world. I feel like I need the next step for my career and I feel that I can develop as a player here. And I like the challenge as well, so I think it’s the perfect step for me right now.”
Those are the words of a player who knows exactly what she is walking into: expectation, scrutiny, and the weekly demand to perform at the very top level.
City’s project, and a message to rivals
Inside the club, there is a clear sense that this signing fits a wider plan. Director of football Therese Sjogran made no attempt to play down City’s excitement.
“We are delighted to welcome Carlotta to the club. She is a player we’ve admired for some time and know she will bring energy, passion and a willingness to learn to the team,” Sjogran said.
“For such a young, exciting talent to trust us with the next step of her career is something we feel conveys a strong message of what we are building here.”
The message is hard to miss. City are not simply stockpiling talent; they are targeting players who can grow with the club, who see Manchester as the place to sharpen their game and chase trophies.
Wamser now steps into a dressing room that expects to win, in a league that demands the same. With Birmingham City visiting on Sunday and injuries already reshaping the champions’ options, her first test may come sooner than anyone anticipated.
