Manchester United Women are set to hand 17-year-old Layla Drury a professional contract, making her the youngest player in the club’s history to sign a full-time deal. The forward will reportedly become the first player to commit to United prior to her 18th birthday.
Drury broke into the senior squad last season while still 16, making her debut in January during an FA Cup tie against Burnley. At 16 years and 220 days old, she surpassed Lauren James’s previous record to become the club’s youngest ever player. She marked the occasion by scoring, also claiming the title of youngest goalscorer in the process.
The Wales-born attacker made seven appearances across all competitions during the campaign, including five substitute outings in the Women’s Super League. Her rapid rise follows a significant international switch in February, when she changed her allegiance from Wales to England after representing both nations at youth level.
United plan to integrate Drury into the first-team squad on a full-time basis next season. Her development represents a success story for the club’s academy, which is working to cultivate young players as part of a strategy to operate sustainably.
London City Lionesses land German striker
Meanwhile, Championship side London City Lionesses have secured the signature of Germany forward Nicole Anyomi from Eintracht Frankfurt. The 24-year-old arrives on a four-year contract after her deal with the German club expired.
Anyomi departs Frankfurt with an impressive record of 60 goals in 130 appearances. She was also part of the Germany squad that reached the final of the 2022 European Championship, where they lost to England at Wembley.
Speaking to her new club’s media channels, Anyomi expressed her enthusiasm for the move. She stated that she had always wanted to play abroad, adding that the opportunity to join London City Lionesses and their project “means the world.”