Some weeks ago a rumor hit timelines in which a handful of UK journalists reported that Esme Morgan was leaving Manchester City, and Washington Spirit would be her next club. Now the Spirit themselves have confirmed the rumor by welcoming Morgan to the club with her very own press release, social media posts, and custom graphic.

“I wanted to join the Spirit because they have the ambition and tools to be the best team in the NWSL, and trying to achieve that will be a great but enjoyable challenge,” Morgan was quoted as saying in the press release. “On an individual level too, the opportunity to work under Jonatan [Giráldez], one of the world’s best coaches, is really exciting and I look forward to learning from him and pushing myself to become the best player I can be, hopefully helping the team to success.”

The Spirit reportedly paid an undisclosed fee to Manchester City (with a Net Transfer Threshold in effect it is super annoying that the fee is undisclosed) and signed Morgan to a 4-year contract, one of the longest the current regime has handed out. Morgan will be eligible to join team training on July 15, but not eligible to participate in matches until the league’s summer transfer window opens August 1.

Morgan is a 23-year-old versatile defender who spent two years in Manchester City’s youth academy beginning in 2015 before joining the senior squad. She debuted for City in 2017, spent the 2019/20 season on loan at Everton, and served as team captain on a couple occasions in 2022/23.

In her spell with City she has played left back, right back and center back, and has featured primarily as a center back for the Lionesses in international competition. To get a sense of her profile as a player, we’re going to focus on her last two season’s with Manchester City, where she featured primarily as a fullback for a combined total of 23 90s. Here’s how her numbers stacked up over the seasons according to StatsBomb radars.

While there was some fluctuation in a few metrics, there are several consistent numbers. Morgan’s deep progressions (moving the ball into the final third by carrying/dribbling or passing) remained high and her rate of turnovers remained low. She also didn’t commit many fouls and was average in possession adjusted (PAdj) pressures.

Where things flopped around a bit was in her defensive action OBV (on ball value), which measures a range of defensive contributions that help her team take possession. The percentage of times she successfully tackled a dribbler was 72% in 2022/23, but dropped to 63% last season. It’s hard to know the contributing factor (or factors), it could be style of play or an influx/development of attacking talent, but the variance is notable nonetheless.

Also, for being a somewhat tall player – FBref lists Morgan at 5’9 1/2, which might be accurate given a picture posted by Women’s Game MIB of her next to 6′ Sam Mewis (FBref claims Mewis is 5’11, so whatever) – she only won 56% of her aerial duels in 22/23, and just 40% last year.

While it’s hard to project league-to-league due to differences in style of play, team construction and competition, it feels safe to project Morgan’s height, athleticism and ball carrying ability as that of an NWSL center back. With lopsided formations becoming more en vogue (a back 4 that becomes a back 3 in possession), Morgan could also lineup out wide on paper but still function as a left or right sided center back. It’s also true that the Spirit need a center back more than another outside back, so we’re feeling rather safe in this prediction.

In terms of how she fits into the type of team the Spirit want to be, she’s an exciting prospect. She has an incredible amount of experience for a player that is still just 23, and fits the modern demand for defenders – particularly central defenders – who are comfortable with the ball at their feet. She’ll have to show she can get better in the air, and that she has the positioning and athleticism to cope with the outrageous amount of attacking talent in the NWSL. But her four-year contract suggests that Spirit coaches, including incoming head coach Jonatan Giráldez (who, hilariously, did not “produce” a quote this time), feel that Morgan can accomplish this, and maybe more.

It’s not a bad bet. There have been several former Manchester City players who chose to leave and develop elsewhere while then-bumbling head coach Gareth Taylor was trying to figure things out. It worked for UWCL champions Lucy Bronze and Keira Walsh, Bundesliga champion Georgia Stanway, and before an unfortunate ACL tear, Caroline Weir was in stellar form for Real Madrid. Also, now ex-Manchester City goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck has reportedly signed a pre-contract agreement with Barcelona ahead of a move this summer.

Morgan can add her name to a rather lengthy list of players who have elevated their careers after leaving Manchester City. Many of those players have also gone on to lift a few trophies, which has become a rare and/or extinct occurrence at City. A bit of trophy lifting would go over quite nicely here but no pressure, of course. Welcome to DC, Esme.