Manchester United sign Wangerheim, Birmingham make ‘statement of intent’

Manchester United have signed the Sweden forward Ellen Wangerheim from Hammarby on a contract until June 2029. The 21-year-old becomes the Women’s Super League side’s third signing of the January transfer window, after Hanna Lundkvist and Lea Schüller.

Matt Johnson, United’s director of women’s football, told the club’s media channels that Wangerheim was “one of Europe’s best young talents”, saying: “As a dynamic, invasive and versatile forward Ellen brings variation and a natural scoring instinct to the team. Everyone at the club is excited to have her at Manchester United and the opportunity to help maximise her potential.”

Wangerheim, who helped Hammarby win a league title and the Swedish Cup in 2023, said: “I am so excited. It feels amazing to be here. It’s a huge club with big history. So sitting here in this shirt is a proud moment for me. It’s always been my dream to move abroad and to play in another country, in Europe and in a really big football club.”

Schüller and Wangerheim have arrived to bolster United’s forward line in a month when the veteran striker Rachel Williams has left for Leicester and the Brazil forward Geyse has joined Club América in Mexico.

United are expected to be without the England midfielder Ella Toone for at least a further six weeks because of a hip injury, making her a doubt for February’s Women’s Champions League playoff against Atlético Madrid. The United head coach, Marc Skinner, said on Friday that Toone would definitely be back before the end of the season.

The WSL2 side Birmingham City have broken their club record transfer fee to sign the attacking midfielder Wilma Leidhammar from Norrköping. The 22-year-old Sweden youth international arrives for what sources have said is a record fee for a second-tier English side of about €315,000 (£273,000).

Leidhammar has scored 27 goals and provided 11 assists in Sweden’s top division since 2022, including nine goals and seven assists last term, and has scored three times in 11 appearances for her country’s Under-23s.

Leidhammar told City’s website that winning promotion was her dream and said: “From my first conversations with Amy [Merricks, the head coach] and Hope [Powell, the technical director], I could feel the ambition of the club straight away, and it felt like the right place for me.”

Merricks said: “With regards to the transfer fee, it is a real statement of intent from the club, and if anyone didn’t take our ambition seriously, I hope they really do after this window, because it shows what we’re pushing for.

“Wilma brings with her a vast amount of experience. I’ve seen her play for Sweden’s youth teams multiple times. She brings with her not only her ability on the pitch, especially in attacking areas and the way she can link up final-third passes and then contribute to goalscoring situations, but just her desire and her professionalism.”

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