Manchester City have confirmed that Caroline Weir will depart the club in the summer following the conclusion of her contract.
The Scotland international has been ever present for City since joining the club from Liverpool in 2018, blossoming into one of the finest midfielders in the WSL and one of the most technically gifted players in Europe, renowned for her fabulous feet and spectacular solo goals.
City confirmed that goalkeeper Karima Benameur Taieb will also leave the club in the summer, bringing an end to her three-year spell at the club.
Weir made 124 appearances in all competitions for City and netted 38 goals – including a trio of stunning solo efforts to win three separate Manchester derbies. She has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, and has spoken previously of her childhood ambitions to play for the Spanish giants, having grown up idolising Zinedine Zidane.
“I always dreamed of being a professional footballer,” Weir told The Players Podcast in April 2021. “And I’m not quite sure exactly where that came from because that wasn’t really a thing when I was growing up — professional female footballers. I think I probably just thought that I was gonna play with the guys and I would play for Real Madrid one day with all my favourite players.”
The two-time Puskas Award nominee is the latest City first team regular to depart the club, following Georgia Stanway’s move to Bayern Munich.
Benameur meanwhile joined City from Paris FC in 2019, and went on the make 24 appearances during her three years at the club.
A statement released on the Manchester City website reads: “Everybody at Manchester City would like to thank Caroline and Karima for their contributions during their respective spells with the club and wish them the best for the future.”