Manchester City Sign Carlotta Wamser to Strengthen Defense
Manchester City have moved to reinforce their title-winning back line with the signing of Germany international Carlotta Wamser from Bayer Leverkusen on a four-year deal.
The 22-year-old full-back, comfortable on either flank, becomes City's third major arrival of the summer, following defender Niamh Charles from Chelsea and forward Beth Mead from Arsenal. It is a clear statement: the Women's Super League champions are not standing still.
Defensive reshuffle for injury-hit champions
City's need was urgent. Charles is already on an injury list that also includes Grace Clinton, Vivianne Miedema, Jade Rose and Laura Wienroither. With the champions beginning their title defence at home to Birmingham City on Sunday, Wamser lands in Manchester at a time when depth is not a luxury but a necessity.
Wamser joined Leverkusen from Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer in July 2025 and has since built a reputation as a modern, energetic full-back. She has 14 senior caps for Germany and progressed through every rung of the country's youth system, including a key role in the Under-17 European Championship-winning side in 2019.
Now she swaps the Frauen-Bundesliga for the WSL – and she is under no illusions about the size of the step.
"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. "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."
City sell the project
Inside the club, there is a clear sense that Wamser fits the long-term plan as much as the immediate need.
City director of football Therese Sjogran underlined how long the club have tracked the German defender.
"We are delighted to welcome Carlotta to the club," Sjogran 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."
For City, that message is simple: even with injuries biting, the champions intend to defend their crown with fresh legs, fresh ideas and a full-back who has chosen Manchester as the stage for the next phase of her career.
