Man Utd Women complete first summer signing as Spain prospect Andrea Medina pens three-year deal with Red Devils

Medina's move to Manchester has been rumoured for some time now, with the defender's departure from Atletico confirmed before the end of the 2025-26 season after four seasons at the club. Now, United have made the news official, announcing the 22-year-old's arrival on Wednesday, the day after her contract in Madrid officially ended.

Speaking about the defender's arrival, Matt Johnson, United's director of women's football, said: "Andrea has all of the technical attributes, character and determination required to thrive at Man Utd. She is a player who we have admired for a long time and we are delighted to add her unique qualities to our group, particularly after significant interest from clubs across Europe.

"Despite being only 22, and still having enormous potential to develop, Andrea already has excellent experience. Everyone at the club is excited to help her to achieve her ambitions in the years ahead."

After coming through the youth ranks of Sevilla and Camas, Medina first emerged in the senior game at Real Betis, the club she supported as a young girl and eventually joined in 2018. Her debut in Liga F, the top-flight in Spain, came when she was just 15 years old and, from there, she would blossom into a regular starter, earning a move to Atletico after two full seasons with the first-team, when she was still only 18 years old.

There, Medina, who ranked at No.8 in GOAL's 2022 Women's NXGN list, would continue to make good on her potential while experiencing higher stakes games near the top of the table - and in the Copa de la Reina, which she helped Atleti win in the 2022-23 season - as well as in the Champions League. She also won her first senior Spain call-up in May of this year.

Indeed, Medina played against Man Utd three times in last season's UWCL, in the league phase and then in a two-legged knockout tie, which United won. She noted the good impression she got about the Red Devils in those games when speaking as a United player for the first time.

"Man Utd has an incredible history and I am excited to join a team that is determined to write its own chapter at one of the most important clubs in the world," she said. "Competing against United last season showed me how strong the group is and just how much this club means to our supporters. The passion from everyone who travelled over to Madrid was unbelievable, that atmosphere stayed with me and I cannot wait to represent you every time I step onto the pitch. I am ready for the next stage of my career and to show my qualities in the intensity of the English game."

How Medina fits into this United team will be interesting. Though she can play as a centre-back and a wing-back, the 22-year-old is predominantly a left-back and that is where most of her experience has come in the senior game. United already have a solid starter in that role, after Anna Sandberg emerged as a stand-out performer last season, following her move from Swedish side Hacken in the summer of 2024.

Whether United boss Marc Skinner sees the two competing for that same role, or being able to fit into the starting line-up together, time will tell. Medina did play as a centre-back more often towards the end of last season and has taken the No.6 shirt at United, which could well indicate that Skinner sees the young defender as having the potential to play there long-term, or at least as an option to flip between the two roles where necessary.

Either way, building depth was absolutely a priority for United in this summer window after a lack thereof proved to be a significant factor in their underwhelming 2025-26 campaign. The Red Devils showed glimpses of their quality throughout, to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League on their main competition debut, as well as another cup final in the League Cup.

However, a thin squad, not helped by injuries, including one to Sandberg, prevented United from finishing inside the top three in the Women's Super League, meaning they will not have Champions League football in the 2026-27 campaign. That means fewer minutes up for grabs for players, making the use of Medina and Sandberg, who will both want to start, all the more intriguing.

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