Aston Villa have confirmed that seven players will leave the club upon the expiry of their contracts next month.
It has today been confirmed that Ella Franklin-Fraiture, Emma Follis, Amy West, Caroline Siems, Diana Silva, Mana Iwabuchi and Nadine Hanssen will all leave The Banks’s Stadium this summer.
The most high-profile name on the released list is Japanese international forward Iwabuchi. The 28-year-old is the nation’s sixth-highest ever goalscorer with 31 goals in 74 appearances. The player is understood to be a target for Villa’s Barclays FA Women’s Super League rivals Arsenal with head coach Joe Montemurro having previously confirmed the club’s interest. Iwabuchi is now expected to sign on at Meadow Park in the coming weeks should final terms be agreed.
Of the other six departures, midfielder West has been with the club for seven years since their debut season in the old FA Women’s Super League 2 while Franklin-Fraiture, Follis and Hanssen were promotion winners with The Villains 12 months ago. Former German youth international Siems joins Villa last summer, as did Portuguese international attacker Silva.
Aston Villa finished their first-ever Barclays FA Women’s Super League campaign in 10th position thanks to a final day of the season draw at Arsenal combined with favourable results elsewhere.
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