England international goalkeeper Mary Earps is set to leave Manchester United for Paris Saint-Germain, according to Le Parisien.
The 2022 European Championship winner will leave United on a free transfer and is poised to sign for PSG. The move has been in the works for months now.
United rejected a world-record bid for the goalkeeper from Arsenal last summer. PSG have reportedly convinced Earps to join them, further strengthening their squad.
The Nottingham-born goalie has been a mainstay for the Red Devils since joining the club from VfL Wolfsburg in 2019 after struggling for game time in Germany.
She has established herself as United’s first-choice shot-stopper. She kept seven clean sheets in 22 Women’s Super League (WSL) games while helping the club to the FA Cup title last season.
PSG are set to lose key players Tabitha Chawinga and Sandy Baltimore to Lyon and Chelsea.
However, they plan to make a statement by offering Earps a contract that will make her the highest-paid goalkeeper in the world.
The 31-year-old wants to compete at the highest level, especially the Women’s Champions League.
United’s absence from the Champions League next season, after a disappointing fifth-place finish in the WSL, likely factored into Earps’ decision.
Club part-owner Jim Ratcliffe’s comments regarding his INEOS group’s focus on the men’s team couldn’t have instilled confidence in the future of the women’s program.
When questioned about what United have done to keep pace with rivals Chelsea, he said (via Bloomberg): “We’ve been pretty much focused on how do we resolve the first-team issues, in that environment, and that’s been pretty full-time for the first six months.”
