Grace Clinton: Man Utd reluctantly accept Man City bid with England midfielder in last year of contract
Manchester United accept offer for Grace Clinton from cross-town rivals Manchester City; England midfielder is out of contract next summer, with club unwilling to lose her for nothing; fellow Lioness Jess Park may move in other direction ahead of Thursday's transfer deadline
Thursday 4 September 2025 22:49, UK
Manchester United have reluctantly accepted an offer from Manchester City for Grace Clinton.
The England midfielder is into the final year of her contract and Man United are keen to avoid losing her for free, just as they have Alessia Russo, Ona Batlle and Mary Earps in recent years.
Clinton bid farewell to Man Utd in a social media post on Thursday evening, confirming she has 'taken the decision to part ways with Man Utd'.
She added: "I feel the future of the club and I aren't on the same page. For me personally, the next step is about growth, I want to continue to develop and learn."
In order to bolster their squad, United have made Man City's Jess Park their top target.
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A bid for the attacking player came out of the blue but her attacking prowess could bring an extra dimension to United.
Both deals are likely to be completed today on Deadline Day.
Man Utd in talks over Park move
Man Utd Women are in talks with Man City Women about a possible deal for England midfielder Jess Park.
A permanent move is being discussed ahead of tonight's deadline.
Park and Clinton are both England internationals and were part of the Euro 2025-winning squad this summer. They are both regulars for their current respective clubs and are regarded as some of the best young talent in the WSL.
Man City begin their season on Friday evening, live on Sky Sports, when they take on reigning champions Chelsea.
New boss Andree Jeglertz gave his first pre-match press conference on Wednesday. When asked if he still expected Park to be at the club at the end of the window, he said: "Of course. If that happens or if anything else happens, I'm sure that we will have an announcement."
Sky Sports is the home of the WSL - what's new this season?
As part of Sky's new bumper rights partnership with the Women's Super League, Sky Sports will broadcast 118 matches from the WSL every season, up more than three times from the number of games previously shown with 78 fixtures shown exclusively.
Sky Sports will celebrate a landmark WSL season with a new flagship programme dedicated to Sunday lunchtime kick-offs.
The show will offer a 60-minute build-up from 11am, featuring the latest breaking news from every ground, plus more behind-the-scenes content than ever before.
The Sky Sports app also makes it easier than ever to follow the action on mobile with vertical video highlights, match centres packed with scores and stats available for FREE to all fans, plus live streams for Sky Sports customers.
Free-to-watch match highlights from EVERY WSL game will continue to be served up on the Sky Sports website and App.
Beyond that, Sky Sports will serve women's football fans even better on social with a new dedicated WSL YouTube channel.
It's the only place to find live streams of selected games, match highlights, exclusive interviews and content showcasing the biggest personalities from across the league as never seen before.
