Women's Super League

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Bay Collective have completed their takeover of Sunderland AFC Women, acquiring a majority stake in the club.

The multi-club owners, who also oversee American club Bay FC, received formal approval from WSL Football this week.

Sunderland finished eighth in the Women's Super League 2 but Bay Collective chief Kay Cossington hopes they can compete with "the very best in the world" in the future.

"I don't see why not. The club has been there previously. This is not something new," said Cossington, who was formerly the FA's technical director of women's football.

"When I was an international coach, there were many players from the area whether it was Lucy Bronze, Jill Scott, Steph Houghton, Lucy Stanforth, Demi Stokes - the list is endless.

"This club was right at the top of the women's game and was competing for honours on a regular basis. It's time to bring back those days."

Local rivals Newcastle United have been boosted by investment from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia in recent years.

But Durham put out a call for investment last week as their future in the WSL 2 is at risk without it.

Cossington says Bay Collective "understands what an important region" the northeast is to women's football and hopes to rebuild its success in the game.

Sunderland CEO Tom Burwell believes the club's ambitions were met by Bay Collective when they first held conversations in October 2025.

"That was the clear mandate set to me by the board - to find a partner that first and foremost cared about developing football here in this region, knowing that if we built those key fundamentals, we had the opportunity to compete at the very highest level," said Burwell.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa have signed Scotland forward Mia McAulay from Rangers.

The 19-year-old progressed through the academy at Rangers and broke into the first team squad in the Scottish Women's Premier League.

She made her senior debut for Rangers at 16 and went on to make over 100 appearances for her childhood team.

The winger made her Scotland debut in May 2025 and has since gone on to make five appearances.

Earlier on Wednesday, Villa's top-scorer last season, Kirsty Hanson, joined Women's Super League rivals Tottenham.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wales international Gemma Evans is set to join Newcastle United following her departure from Liverpool.

The 29-year-old left Merseyside when her contract expired at the end of the season having featured just once as a substitute in the WSL in 2026.

The Wales defender made 38 appearances for Liverpool after joining from Manchester United in 2024.

Evans was also part of the Wales squad that played at Euro 2025 and scored in their 3-1 victory over the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

Newcastle finished sixth in the second tier this season and are pushing for promotion to the WSL next year.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Australia international Caitlin Foord has signed a new deal with Arsenal.

It is understood she has agreed a two-year contract, keeping her at Arsenal until June 2028.

The 31-year-old, who joined from Portland Thorns in 2020, has scored 57 goals in 203 appearances for Arsenal.

She was part of the squad who won the Champions League in 2025 and she added a Champions Cup medal this season.

The forward also won back-to-back League Cup titles in 2023 and 2024 with Arsenal.

This season, she netted two goals in 12 Women's Super League starts, and the winner in their extra-time victory over Corinthians in the Champions Cup.

At international level, she made her senior debut for Australia aged 16, and has gone on to make 150 appearances, scoring 41 goals.

Meanwhile, England international Beth Mead announced her departure from Arsenal in May and is expected to join Manchester City.

The Gunners are set to bring in Spain defender Ona Batlle and England midfielder Georgia Stanway, among others.

Image source, London City Lionesses/Nina Farooqi

London City Lionesses have announced Maria Perez has signed a new contract until summer 2028.

The Spanish midfielder joined the club in September 2024.

The 24-year-old midfielder is a Spanish international and has spent time playing for Barcelona, Barcelona B and Sevilla.

Perez has made 20 appearances across the WSL and WSL 2 and four in domestic cups.

On her new deal, Perez said: "I'm so happy to be extending my contract. I feel settled at the club, in the country and the league and it was an easy decision.

"I'm still young and ready to compete and give everything for this club.

"What we want to create as a team and a club, for me it's the best project in the English league."

Charlotte Coates
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

London City Lionesses' goalkeeper Elene Lete has signed a contract extension until the summer of 2028.

The 24-year-old Spaniard played every game for London City in their first Women's Super League campaign after joining from Real Sociedad in 2025.

Lete, who has one cap for Spain, is likely to face competition for the number one shirt from former England goalkeeper Mary Earps.

Earps, 33, has agreed personal terms with London City and is set to join from Paris St-Germain at the end of her contract following two years in France.

Speaking after signing her new deal, Lete said: "I'm delighted to sign a new contract with this club.

"Here at London City, you are training with the best players in the world, the competition in the league is very high and it's amazing to be here.

"I feel I improved a lot as a goalkeeper during my first season and I want to continue to keep getting better.

"I'm giving my best every day for this club. I feel I'm improving daily along with the players, the staff and everyone at the club."

Lete was shortlisted for the division's 'save of the season' for her penalty stop against Brighton & Hove Albion in December.

Image source, Getty

Goalkeeper Sophie Baggaley and midfielder Libby Bance will leave Brighton and Hove Albion when their contracts end later this month.

Also, forward Rosa Kafaji will return to her parent club Arsenal at the end of her loan.

Head coach Dario Vidosic said, "I would like to thank all three for their service to the club. During my time Sophie and Rosa have been great to work with and extremely professional both on and off the field.

"They helped the club reach its first Wembley final and should be proud of the part they played in that historic achievement."

Baggaley joined the Seagulls in 2023, made 42 appearances and was voted players' player at the 2023-24 end of season awards.

On Monday, she was called up to the England senior squad for the World Cup qualifiers later this month against Spain and Ukraine.

Sweden international Kafaji joined the club last summer on a season-long loan from Arsenal and played 24 times for Albion, scoring twice.

Emma Sanders
BBC Sport women’s football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Australia international Caitlin Foord is in advanced discussions over signing a new deal with Arsenal.

The 31-year-old, who joined from Portland Thorns in 2020 is currently on a contract that is set to expire in June.

However, following the departure of England international Beth Mead, the club have been in negotiations with Foord to ensure they keep her.

Foord was part of the squad who won the Champions League last season and she added a Champions Cup medal this season.

The forward also won back-to-back League Cup titles in 2023 and 2024 with Arsenal.

She has made over 200 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 54 goals, including two in 12 Women's Super League starts this season.

Image source, getty

Image source, Getty Images

Brighton striker Fran Kirby says she has "got the summer" to work out her future after losing the FA Cup final to Manchester City on Sunday.

The former England forward turns 33 in June and has been linked with retirement before the 2026-27 season.

A 4-0 defeat at Wembley by the Women's Super League champions denied Kirby a sixth FA Cup winners' medal and afterwards she gave away little about her next steps.

"I've got this summer," she told BBC Radio 5 Live. "These experiences don't last forever - football doesn't last forever.

"I have got some time now to let my body recover after a tough season and we'll go from there."

It has been a fine end to the season for Brighton, who beat Arsenal on route to the FA Cup final and also defeated Manchester City in April.

Kirby expressed her pride at reaching the Wembley showpiece and said she hopes the progress made under Dario Vidosic will sustain into next season.

"I am disappointed but also really proud of the club, the team and the way we showed ourselves," she said. "We can take learnings into next season.

"We had a tough run to get here and it tells you about the calibre of players we are starting to attract at the club. It's a dejected changing room but we will realise what an amazing achievement it has been.

"Hopefully we can keep building for next season."

Adwaidh Rajan
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Vivianne Miedema said it was "really emotional" to return to the Manchester City squad as she helped them defeat Brighton 4-0 in the Women's FA Cup final and complete a historic double.

In her first appearance since the end of March, the Dutch forward came off the bench to seal the victory in the 87th minute as Andree Jeglertz's side added to their first Women's Super League title in a decade.

Miedema had missed their WSL run-in for personal reasons and later revealed in an Instagram post that her mother was "fighting for her life" after experiencing "serious complications" while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

"I spoke to Andree two weeks ago and said that we were going to try and aim for the final, so I'm really glad I made it," Miedema said after the FA Cup triumph.

"I FaceTimed my mum after the game. She watched the game. She understood that we won. She cried on the phone, so it was really emotional for me."

Miedema said on her social media post that her mother was "fighting hard through the small steps of recovery although there are still many big hurdles ahead".

On securing the club's first-ever double, the 29-year-old said: "Really special and unbelievable. I've never done it myself before.

"Within the club, we were always honest about it. I'm just happy that we won it.

"I will not be leading [the celebrations] but I might actually have to take over at some point. It's really nice to have a little distraction."