Manchester United are poised to sign Anna Sandberg from BK Hacken for what will be a record transfer fee for a Swedish women’s player.
The 21-year-old full-back is understood to have completed a medical at United on Tuesday and is close to becoming the English club’s fourth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Dominique Janssen, Elisabeth Terland and Melvine Malard.
Sandberg was part of the Sweden squad that finished third at the World Cup last year and has long been considered one of Scandinavian football’s brightest young talents. She has Champions League experience with Hacken, whom she joined in 2022. The fee is undisclosed but is understood to be comfortably more than the reported £150,000 Everton paid to Rosengard for Hanna Bennison in 2021.
United have received another pre-season boost with the returns to training of Gabby George and Jess Simpson after both players missed the vast majority of last season with anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Marc Skinner’s squad are training at St George’s Park for a few weeks at the start of pre-season. As revealed by the Guardian in June, United’s women’s team will be moved into a temporary building at the club’s Carrington training centre for the duration of the new season while work is taking place to transform the men’s team facilities on the site.
Sandberg is believed to have been impressed with the facilities on offer to the women’s team at Carrington when she visited for her medical. She is likely to be presented by the club in the coming days. United are also expected to announce additional women’s fixtures to be played at Old Trafford next season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have completed the signing of the Netherlands’ No 1 goalkeeper, Daphne van Domselaar, from Aston Villa. It is understood Arsenal met the release clause in Van Domselaar’s contract, believed to be in the region of £200,000. She has been given the No 14 shirt having signed a contract for an undisclosed length of time.
Van Domselaar won three league titles with Twente before joining Villa 11 months ago. Speaking about her latest move, the 24-year-old said: “I’m really happy to be here. If you look at Arsenal – the players, the team, the stadium – it’s a huge club and I’m so excited to be part of this club.
“I want to win trophies and achieve big things, and Arsenal is the right place for me to do both. I can’t wait to play at Emirates Stadium in front of all the supporters and show what I can do.”
Moving the other way, Aston Villa have signed Canada goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo on a free transfer after her contract at Arsenal expired at the end of June. The 31-year-old has signed a two-year deal with Villa and will serve as a direct replacement for Van Domselaar.
“She is an experienced goalkeeper that will help drive standards and create great competition within the goalkeeping unit,” said Lee Billiard, Villa’s head of women’s football, about the club’s fifth signing of the summer.
