Man City is ‘no competition’
Wolfsburg departure makes Roord a record transfer
7/7/2023 11:52 am
A warm shower of money for the women of VfL Wolfsburg, a world-class player for Manchester City: Jill Roord from the Netherlands is moving from the German runners-up to the Premier League. The transfer fee probably means a Bundesliga record.
The Dutch national soccer player Jill Roord is leaving the DFB Cup winner VfL Wolfsburg and moving to Manchester City. At the request of the midfielder, the contract, which ran until 2024, was terminated after two years. According to media reports, VfL should receive a transfer fee of 400,000 euros plus performance-related bonuses.
This would make the vice world champion the most expensive Bundesliga exit to date. Wolfsburg reportedly received around 350,000 euros from Chelsea in 2020 for the Danish goalscorer Pernille Harder. Internationally, Roord’s transfer fee is the second most expensive transfer of all time: Der Barcelona FC had last summer for that English soccer champion Keira Walsh According to media reports around 460,000 euros paid to Manchester City. Roord, who played 69 games for VfL Wolfsburg, won the cup with the club in 2022 and 2023 as well as the German championship in 2022.
“No Champions League competitor”
“With a view to the economic component of a transfer and taking into account the crucial fact of not losing it to a Champions League competitor in 2023/2024, we think the solution we have found is the best possible,” said Ralf Kellermann, director of women’s football at VfL. “After failing to comply with Jill’s request to end the contractual relationship early last summer, we have now complied with her repeated request.” Fourth in the Women’s Premier League, Manchester City narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Champions League on goal difference.
It is the second engagement in England for the former Arsenal player. “I’ve always thought the Women’s Super League was very competitive. Playing in England again is like a dream – I feel like I’ve developed a lot as a player during my time in Germany,” said Roord, who signed a three-year contract with Man City.