Deyna Castellanos joins Manchester City ahead of 2022/23 WSL season
By Ali Rampling
Manchester City have confirmed the signing of Deyna Castellanos on a free transfer from Atletico Madrid following the expiration of her contract.
The Venezuelan international has signed a three-year deal with City, keeping her at the Academy Stadium until 2025, and will officially join the club on 1 July.
Castellanos will wear the number 10 during the 2022/23 season - the shirt vacated by Georgia Stanway, following her move to Bayern Munich.
“I’m very happy to be a Manchester City player – it is a huge move for myself in my career and I can’t wait for it to begin," Castellanos said.
“Looking around at all the facilities here, it is just amazing – I believe that this club will help to improve me as a player, and I hope that I can help Manchester City too.
“The style of football that the team play was very attractive to me and I feel as though I can fit in very well here, whilst also being challenged to develop and grow.
“I have chosen the No.10 shirt too as I played with that number in college and scored some great goals wearing it, so hopefully I will be able to create many more good memories with it here at City.”
Castellanos joins City following two-and-a-half years with Atletico, where she scored 23 goals in 58 appearances in all competitions and won the 2020/21 Spanish Super Cup.
The highly-rated 23-year-old spent her youth with Escuela de Futbol Juan Arango in her native Venezuela, before moving to the United States in 2016 to play college football at Florida State.
She netted 48 times in 82 outings during her time in Florida, and was nominated for the 2017 FIFA Best Women’s Player of the Year alongside Carli Lloyd and Lieke Martens while still at college.
Castellanos made her senior international debut in 2018 aged 18, and has gone on to earn 25 caps for her country, scoring 12 goals.
“We’re thrilled to have Deyna on board," added City boss Gareth Taylor. "She is a player we have admired for a long time and we’re so pleased that we have been able to finally bring her to the club.
“She has a real hunger and desire to be highly successful on the pitch and we’re very much looking forward to working with her over the coming years.”
Castellanos is City's first arrival of the summer following six exits from the club. Stanway, Jill Scott, Lucy Bronze, Caroline Weir and Karima Benameur Taieb have all departed after their contracts came to an end, while goalkeeper Karen Bardsley has retired.