O’Neill on further January transfer activity | OneFootball

Charlotte O’Neill says Manchester City are close to completing another transfer this January and that work is continuing on further reinforcements.

With the Blues relentlessly competing on four fronts during the second half of the 2024/25 season, the winter window has presented an opportunity to bolster our squad and help navigate the packed schedule.

This saw the 2024 Damallsvenskan Defender of the Year Rebecca Knaak arrive from Rosengard earlier this month before heading out on our warm weather training camp in Abu Dhabi.

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And O’Neill – who took over as Managing Director in 2023 – has said the Club’s business will continue with a minimum of one more signing arriving before 30 January’s 23:00 (UK) deadline.

However, she reaffirmed City’s desire to recruit quality on and off the pitch over quantity as we also plot summer activity.

“We have at least one more [transfer] done and then others we are working on,” she said.

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“But the level of player we are attracting now and we want to bring in is so high, it’s not easy. We are obviously extremely careful about who we add into this group.

“We feel it’s a really special group of players, so we are very particular about what we want. We are being aggressive in the market, but they have to be of the quality.

“More signings? Absolutely. But we are also doing a lot of business in the summer as well.”

Alongside attracting top talent to the Joie Stadium, City are committed to creating an environment which will develop and encourage those players to stay in Manchester for the long term.

Across the past 18 months, international stars including Lauren Hemp, Yui Hasegawa and Leila Ouahabi have penned new deals with the Club which cements the futures in sky blue.

For O’Neill, she says helping players progress before agreeing fresh terms is a source of immense satisfaction.

She added: “It’s turning players into top players, so not just going out there and signing the finished article – which sometimes we need to do as well – but helping players become national team regulars is a huge part of what we’re doing and very important.

“When those players are then at the top of their game consistently, making them believe it is the right environment for them and they’re going to get better every day.

“It’s all about the best talent, the best environment and support staff. That’s what we’re trying to do and I love it when a top player commits long term because it tells us we’re doing something right.”

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The latest member of Taylor’s squad to commit their future to City is Netherlands international Kerstin Casparij.

By penning a two-year extension with the Club, the right-back will remain at the Joie Stadium until the summer of 2027.

And O’Neill says negotiations with Casparij were not only straightforward, but also reflected the emotional investment we have in our players.

WATCH: Watch: Casparij walks her cat around Heaton Park!

She concluded: “[Negotiations] were pretty easy. They’re always the negotiations you like which is ‘we’d love you to stay’ and she says ‘I’d love to stay’ and we’re like lets get it done. And that’s it.

“We really value our players, we care about them and want them to be looked after financially and in the environment as well. It has to feel good for everybody.

“With Kerstin, it was easy because we think she’s top, think she could be one of the best players in her position in the world and she believes this is the right environment for her to do that.

“[It was] very easy and [it's] always extra special when they are such a great person and personality.”