Leila Ouahabi El Ouahabi

Leila Ouahabi's move to Chicago Stars FC came only after she had already spent a season adjusting to English football at Manchester City, a switch that followed years built at Barcelona. The club moved to secure her on a three-year deal running through 2028, a sign of how much weight the Catalan defender carries at the back.

Born in Catalonia, Ouahabi came through the Spanish game at Barcelona before crossing to the Women's Super League with Manchester City. That spell in Manchester marked her first experience outside Spanish football, and it ended with Chicago moving quickly to bring her into the NWSL, where she now wears the number 29 shirt.

Her value has long been recognised at international level. Ouahabi has been a full member of the Spanish national team since 2016 and has gone on to earn 66 caps, scoring once for her country — a record that places her among the more established figures in a Spanish squad that has become one of the most competitive in the women's game.

The move to Chicago places her in a new league and a new style of competition, but it continues a career path that has taken her from Barcelona's academy system through England and now to the United States, always as a defender trusted with a regular place in the side.