Aston Villa Women are navigating a pivotal summer ahead of the 2026-27 Women's Super League season. The club has seen multiple developments across transfers, fixtures and squad planning as they build on a ninth-place finish last term.
What transfers are Aston Villa Women pursuing this summer?
According to The Athletic, Aston Villa have made an approach to Bayer Leverkusen for striker Christian Kofane. The 20-year-old has attracted interest from Villa due to his potential as a long-term option amid uncertainty over Ollie Watkins' future. Watkins has expressed a desire to join Al Hilal, prompting Villa to explore contingency plans. Kofane made 44 appearances for Leverkusen last season, scoring seven goals and registering nine assists. He was also called up to the Cameroon national team in December 2025 for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Athletic also reported that Villa are considering Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea as a leading striker target. Unai Emery worked with Jackson at Villarreal, and any deal would likely be in the region of £65million. Villa sold Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117million in July, and UEFA rules around player exchange transactions are being evaluated to determine if a move for Jackson could proceed without impacting the accrued profit from that sale.
What is the latest on Aston Villa Women's squad changes?
The Guardian reported that Aston Villa Women have undergone significant changes under head coach Natalia Arroyo. Sarah Mayling, Sabrina D’Angelo and Ebony Salmon have departed, while Lucy Staniforth has retired. Incoming players include Akane Okuma, Kamilla Melgård and Mia McAulay, with England Under-20 international Lily Murphy joining on loan. The departure of Kirsty Hanson, who contributed to 43% of Villa’s goals last season, is seen as a major blow.
Arroyo has brought in Rachel Daly’s return to full fitness and signed Amalie Vangsgaard for experience. Defensively, Villa aim to improve after conceding the second-most goals in the WSL last season. Off the field, managing director Maggie Murphy has emphasized reconnecting with the fanbase, citing collaborations with Level Playing Field, an International Women’s Day event and a women’s clothing range with AFTA Studios. Saathi House featured on the shirt during the World Sevens Tournament.
When does the Aston Villa Women WSL 2026-27 season begin?
The Women’s Super League 2026-27 fixtures were announced on Thursday 27 August 2026, with the season set to begin on Friday September 4. Aston Villa Women will face Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge on Saturday September 5. The league expanded to 14 teams this season with the promotion of Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic.
Sky Sports will broadcast 90% of all WSL matches live, including 163 games and the play-offs. The opening weekend features London City Lionesses hosting Manchester United, followed by Manchester City hosting Birmingham City on Sunday September 6. Arsenal begin their campaign with a trip to Brighton, while Liverpool visit newly-promoted Charlton Athletic.
How did Aston Villa Women fare in the Champions League draw?
Aston Villa Women’s Champions League opponents have been drawn for the league phase, including home matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund, and away fixtures at Barcelona and Club Brugge. They will also host Fenerbahce and Viking, and visit Galatasaray and Slavia Prague.
Having qualified via a fourth-place Premier League finish and Europa League triumph last season, Unai Emery’s side aims to improve on their quarter-final appearance in 2024-25. The return to Camp Nou is notable, with Emery having previously managed PSG during the 2017 Champions League comeback by Barcelona. Villa supporters are eager for the challenge, having previously beaten PSG at Villa Park in the quarter-final 16 months ago.
Emery’s main challenge will be integrating a new-look squad while maintaining consistency. The team has reached at least the last eight in Europe for the past three seasons and will need to rediscover that know-how amid summer changes.
Aston Villa Women finished the 2024-25 WSL season in 9th place with 20 points from 22 games (5W-5D-12L), a goal difference of -20 and 35 points behind leaders Manchester City Women. As they prepare for the new campaign, fans can check the latest fixtures on our fixtures page and review the updated squad for the 2026-27 season.
