Manchester City Women's summer exodus has continued with the exit of influential midfielder Caroline Weir.
City recovered from a nightmare start in 2021/22 to win the League Cup, qualify for the Champions League, and reach an FA Cup final, but have since seen a number of important players leave in the last fortnight. Already, goalkeeper Karen Bardsley has retired, and England legend Jill Scott hasn't had her contract extended.
Club record scorer Georgia Stanway has opted to join Bayern Munich, and now her midfield partner Weir has also left the Academy Stadium. Weir joined from Liverpool in 2018, making 124 appearances and scoring 38 goals, including three stunning goals in derbies against Manchester United — all three winning City's Goal of the Season competition and two earning prestigious nominations for the FIFA Puskas Award. She also scored in this season's Continental Cup final win over Chelsea.
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Her exit, amid rumours of interest from Real Madrid, adds increasing pressure to manager Gareth Taylor in building a team for next season as a number of key players have departed. In a statement on social media, Weir said: "It has been an honour to represent Man City for four great years.
"Thank you to my team-mates, the staff and most importantly the incredible fans for all of your support over the years. I will always have a special place in my heart for this club and will be supporting you all from afar."
Also departing is back-up goalkeeper Karima Benameur Taieb, who was thrust into the first-choice shirt at the start of the season when Ellie Roebuck was injured — a spell that featured a number of errors as City struggled with injuries and form.
Taieb made 24 appearances after joining from Paris FC, and won two trophies in her time at City. The club said: "Everybody at Manchester City would like to thank Caroline and Karima for their contributions during their respective spells with the club and wish them the best for the future."
