Austrian footballer Laura Wienroither makes her move to Man City permanent, after spending the latter half of last season with the Mancunians on loan. The right back made the move from WSL rivals Arsenal, whom she represented for 3 years. She signed a 2-year deal with the Sky Blues, with the contract running until 2027.
Laura Wienroither: early career
Born in 1999, Laura entered football as an 8-year-old, featuring for Austrian Youth side TSV Frankenburg. She remained there for 6 years before moving to Union Kleinmunchen in 2013. The ensuing season, Laura featured for the reserves side of Union Kleinmunchen. From 14/15 onwards, though, she started representing their first team before making a switch to SV Neulengbach.
She began her senior career by representing SKN St. Polten for the 17/18 season. Meanwhile, Laura faced her first major heartbreak in football as she was not selected for Austria’s squad to take on the 2017 UEFA Euro Championship. Then, she made her first big jump to TSG Hoffenheim. There, she represented both the reserves and the first team from 2018 to 2022. The Austrian earned her first senior national team cap in 2019 after making 8 appearances for the u19s and 12 appearances for the u17s.
Her time at Arsenal
Laura got her big move to Arsenal in 2022, signing the deal on January 15th for an undisclosed amount. She missed out on her first FA WSL title by just 1 point that season, as Chelsea finished first with 56 points, while Arsenal came second with 55.
Laura was called up for the 2022 UEFA Euro Championship after previously missing out in 2017. She was Austria’s starting Right Back in a campaign where they got to the Quarter-finals, before losing to Germany.
The 22/23 season saw Laura make a total of 30 appearances for the Gunners in what was her best season. She was Arsenal’s player of the month for November 2022. Arsenal missed out on the WSL title as they finished 3rd. Furthermore, they were eliminated from the UEFA WCL in a thrilling semi-final against VFL Wolfsburg that went to extra-time. However, they did manage to win the FA Women’s League Cup.
It was not all good, though, as Laura tore her ACL during the 2nd leg against VFL Wolfsburg. Consequently, she was sidelined from football for 328 days.
Laura returned to action during the latter half of the 23/24 season as a substitute against Bristol City. She went on to make 9 substitute appearances until January 2025
Move to Man City
Following her spell at Arsenal, Laura moved to Man City on loan in January 2025. Her loan deal would last until the end of the 24/25 season. The Right Back made 8 total appearances during the loan period, in a season where the Manchester side ended up trophyless.
Before going on the loan deal, Laura renewed her contract with Arsenal, which generally implies a willingness to stay. However, on 15th August 2025, it was announced that Laura will be moving to Man City on a permanent deal. The deal will see her contracted to the Sky Blues until 2027.
When asked about the move, Laura commented, “I feel like I’ve settled in well, I really like the girls, I like the staff”. While talking about getting the opportunity to make the move permanent, she implied that the decision was a “no-brainer”.
Author’s opinion
Laura’s words and her decision to make the transfer to Man City permanent make it clear just how much she likes it at Man City. The move seems to benefit both Laura and Man City. Whether she makes a significant impact at the club, though, remains to be seen.
