Goalkeeper Mary Earps departs from Man Utd as she moves to Paris St-Germain

Manchester United's goalkeeper Mary Earps has officially departed from the club as she prepares for her move to French club Paris St-Germain (PSG). The 31-year-old leaves on a free transfer after her contract with Manchester United expired, concluding her impressive five-year tenure with the club. This is reported by SSP.

Despite being offered a contract extension from United that met her expectations, Earps has opted to join PSG on a two-year deal, with aspirations of securing more silverware on a consistent basis. Her decision to seek alternative options comes after aiding Manchester United in capturing their first Women's FA Cup victory last season and accumulating over 100 appearances for the team.

Mary Earps is globally recognized as one of the top goalkeepers in the world, with accolades such as winning the FIFA Best Goalkeeper award in January and being named BBC's Sports Personality of the Year in 2023. Her exceptional skills between the posts were crucial in England's successful campaign in the Euro 2022 tournament, as well as their journey to the final of the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Earps becomes another prominent player to depart from Manchester United on a free transfer in recent times, following Alessia Russo's move to Arsenal and Ona Batlle's departure to Barcelona. Additionally, United confirmed the departure of captain Katie Zelem, who was not offered a new contract, while Spain forward Lucia Garcia joined Mexican club Monterrey.

As Mary Earps departs, United is currently in talks to secure former Arsenal defender Dominique Janssen and remains optimistic about signing Brighton forward Elisabeth Terland, both on free transfers.

This move signifies yet another setback for Manchester United, amid growing criticism surrounding their decision to relocate the women's team from their Carrington training site in order to accommodate the men's team. Following British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe's acquisition of a 25% stake in Manchester United through his Ineos Group, his focus on revitalizing the men's team has unsettled several individuals associated with the women's side of the club.

Losing an influential figure like Earps, both in terms of her skill and personality, is undoubtedly a blow for Manchester United, especially considering their descent from second to fourth place in the Women's Super League (WSL) table last season. While United maintains activity in the transfer window, reinforcements will be necessary to fill the void left by these quality players once again.