On Tuesday, Arsenal announced the signing of Laia Codina, the World Cup-winning defender from Spain who previously played for Barcelona in the Women’s Super League (WSL).
Aged 23, Codina was a key player in Spain’s successful World Cup campaign, starting in all four of their knockout matches, culminating in a 1-0 victory over England in the final earlier this month.
Primarily a centre back, Codina has represented Spain on seven occasions at the international level. During her time at Barcelona since her arrival in 2019, she made 32 appearances, contributing to the team’s achievements of two Champions League titles and three LaLiga championships.
Notably, she spent the 2021-22 season on loan at AC Milan, where she featured in 14 matches.
“Laia is a world-class defender and I’m delighted to be working with her here at Arsenal,” coach Jonas Eidevall said.
“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.”
The new season of Arsenal, who finished third in the league last year, kicks off on October 1 against Liverpool at home.