Arsenal have signed full-back Ona Batlle from Barcelona following the expiry of her contract.
The 27-year-old Spain international has penned a four-year deal with an option of an additional 12 months.
The Athletic reported in January that Arsenal were in discussions with Batlle and were keen to secure her signature. Given the two-time Champions League winner had entered the last six months of her contract, Batlle was able to freely negotiate with other teams.
The move sees Batlle return to the Women’s Super League, having played for Manchester United 77 times between 2020 and 2023.
Batlle is widely considered one of the best full-backs in the world and adds great versatility to Arsenal’s squad. Able to play off either flank, the 2023 World Cup winner likes to get forward but is also defensively astute and holds her own physically.
“I’m very happy and excited to get going,” Batlle said in a club release. “Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and I can’t wait to feel the joy of playing in front of our supporters at Emirates Stadium alongside so many great players. I want to win trophies and I feel this is the right place to achieve that.”
During her three years at Barcelona, she won 11 trophies and scored 14 goals in 114 appearances across three seasons in what was her second spell at the Catalan club after starting her career in the academy.
Batlle joined Barcelona’s B team in 2014 but a lack of first-team opportunities saw her leave three years later as an 18-year-old, joining Madrid CFF following their promotion to Liga F. She joined Levante in 2018, spending two seasons at the club before moving to England with United two years later.
After featuring 77 times for United, Batlle returned to Barcelona in the summer of 2023 following the expiration of her contract.
“I left (…) with the mindset I could come back,” she told The Athletic upon her United departure. “For me, Barca has always been in my heart and it’s not easy to say no.”
On the international stage with Spain, Batlle was an integral member of the 2023 World Cup-winning side. She is also a two-time UEFA Women’s Nations League champion and has been named twice in The Best FIFA Women’s XI in 2024 and 2025.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to bring Ona to the club,” head coach Renee Slegers added. “She’s a hugely experienced full-back with strong attacking intent and great physical attributes. She’s a winner and we want to go for more wins together.”
Batlle is Arsenal’s fourth signing this summer. The north London side have been active in the transfer market, bringing in England international Georgia Stanway from Bayern Munich, midfielder Geraldine Reuteler from Eintracht Frankfurt and forward Selina Cerci from Hoffenheim.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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