Manchester City Sign Carlotta Wamser to Strengthen Title Defence

Manchester City have moved to reinforce both flanks and their title defence with the signing of Germany international full-back Carlotta Wamser on a four-year deal from Bayer Leverkusen.

The 22-year-old arrives as a modern full-back in every sense: comfortable on either side, aggressive in the press, and schooled in one of Europe’s most demanding youth systems. City have tracked that profile all summer. Now they have their player.

A timely addition for injury-hit champions

On paper, Wamser is City’s third signing of the window, following defender Niamh Charles from Chelsea and forward Beth Mead from Arsenal. In reality, she might be the one they need most right now.

Charles is already on the injury list, joined by Grace Clinton, Vivianne Miedema, Jade Rose and Laura Wienroither. For a squad expected not just to defend their WSL crown but to set the tempo of the league, that is a significant early-season load.

So the timing is no coincidence. City open their title defence at home to Birmingham City on Sunday, and Wamser’s arrival gives manager and staff an immediate, flexible option in the back line. Left or right, she can slot in and run.

From German prodigy to Manchester project

Wamser’s rise has followed a clear, upward line. She came through Germany’s underage ranks, part of the Under-17 European Championship-winning side in 2019, and has already collected 14 senior caps.

Her club career has moved quickly too. After leaving Eintracht Frankfurt for Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer in July 2025, she adapted to the demands of the Frauen-Bundesliga and drew attention with her energy and willingness to drive play from deep.

Now comes the next jump.

“I had a perfect welcome here and I already feel very good here and I look forward to my time here in Manchester,” she said after completing the move. For a player still only 22, there was no sense of hesitation about the size of the step.

“The English league is the best league in the world and Manchester City is one of the best clubs in the world. I feel like I need the next step for my career and I feel that I can develop as a player here. And I like the challenge as well, so I think it's the perfect step for me right now.”

That word – challenge – will resonate inside a dressing room built on relentless standards and constant competition for places.

City’s message to the league

Director of football Therese Sjogran framed the signing as part of a broader plan rather than a short-term patch.

“We are delighted to welcome Carlotta to the club,” she said. “She is a player we've admired for some time and know she will bring energy, passion and a willingness to learn to the team.

“For such a young, exciting talent to trust us with the next step of her career is something we feel conveys a strong message of what we are building here.”

The message is clear enough. Even as injuries bite, City are not scrambling; they are doubling down on a strategy built around young, international-level talent ready to grow within an already elite environment.

Wamser now steps into that structure, into a league she has called the best in the world, and into a squad that expects to win everything it enters. The question is no longer why City wanted her.

It is how quickly she can turn potential into impact in sky blue.