Manchester United Women goalkeeper Mary Earps admitted it was tough to see her good friend Alessia Russo leave the club ahead of her move to Arsenal. Russo chose to let her Man Utd contract expire after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract, and she is now anticipated to sign with Arsenal as a free agent. The Gunners made two world-record offers to buy Russo in January, but Man Utd refused them, and they will now lose their star scorer for free. The Gunners finished nine points behind Marc Skinner’s runners-up in the most recent season.
“It’s obviously sad. It’s certainly difficult to be there since Alessia Russo and I are close friends,” Mary Earps said. “But in the end, I simply want to be there for her because she needs to do what’s best for her profession. Although it may appear one way on the surface, you never know what’s going on for someone else. You won’t learn about a whole other aspect of the tale unless you speak with her. I am unable to reply to such queries. The fact that Alessia is content is what matters most. I’ll be behind her in all she accomplishes since we’ll be friends for a very long time.”
The greatest football teams in the world have long sought Alessia Russo as a player. Her signing with Arsenal would be a major victory. As they attempt to rocket back to the top of the WSL, it appears that they have fended off competition from the greatest clubs in the US and Europe. There are no ill wills between Manchester United and Russo and they both wish her luck in her future endeavors. However, the lengthy negotiations—which lasted a year and a half—led to dissatisfaction on both sides.
United did make Russo a “considerable” offer to become the highest-paid player in the organisation, but it was thought the last offer was made too late. In order to capitalise on last season’s second-place finish in the league, United will need to fill two big voids left by Russo’s departure and Ona Batlle’s anticipated departure for Barcelona. If the team wants to replace two of the league’s top players, it will have to make a substantial investment. For Arsenal, Russo’s anticipated arrival strengthens a woeful attack, especially if Vivianne Miedema and Beth Mead are able to make a comeback.
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