Barcelona have moved quickly to replace the late captain Vicky Losada by concluding an agreement to sign Wolfsburg and Norwegian midfielder Ingrid Engen.
Losada’s exit at the end of the club’s historic treble-winning season, which included thrashing Chelsea in the Champions League final, left a significant hole in midfield. French international Kheira Hamrouai has also left the club this summer.
Engen has signed a two-year contract with Barça until the summer of 2023. She joined Wolfsburg after impressing at the 2019 World Cup and continued to play for the German club in the Champions League final 2020 and lost to Lyon.
The 23-year-old will not participate in the Olympics this summer because Norway has not qualified, but she will be among the stars to watch Euro 2022 in England next year and the World Cup 2023 in Australia / New Zealand 12 months later.
Engen joins international colleague Caroline Graham Hansen in Barça and has previously arrived in Wolfsburg just as Hansen left to switch to Catalonia.
“It means a lot to me. I’m proud to be here. It’s a dream come true. They are the best team in the world because of how they play and what they have won. I can not wait to go join the group! ”a clearly happy Engen told Barça TV.
“I love having the ball so I think I will sit well in the Barça style.”
Barcelona hope that Engen’s arrival will strengthen their chances of retaining the Champions League title next season, although those such as Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon, Manchester City, Arsenal and others will be determined to make their own. make.
The Champions League for women has been modernized by UEFA for the new campaign. Not only is the prize money involved more lucrative than before, the introduction of a group game means that clubs that make it to that round will have six guaranteed games, as opposed to the old straight knockout format.
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