Manchester City have signed England goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse on a short-term loan from Orlando Pride, running until the end of January 2027. Solid enough business. But read to the bottom of this story and you'll find the deal that didn't happen — and that's the one that matters more.
Moorhouse arrives as cover following Khiara Keating's departure to Liverpool. Ayaka Yamashita remains first choice, and nobody should expect that to change. The 31-year-old Moorhouse is essentially insurance — a Euros squad member who didn't play a minute in the tournament and has conceded 31 goals in 20 NWSL games this season after losing her starting spot at Orlando. This is a player looking to reset, not one arriving to challenge for the gloves.
She was diplomatic about it. "When a club like Manchester City calls, you have to answer," Moorhouse told club media. Fair enough. City are WSL champions, back in European football, and reloading for a title defence. There are worse places to spend six months.
The deal that fell through
The Echegini pursuit is where things get uncomfortable. City made multiple bids for the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder and walked away when PSG held firm on their £500,000 asking price. Given that Vivianne Miedema is now nursing a knee injury — separate from her ACL history, but a concern all the same — that gap in the squad feels sharper than it might have two weeks ago.
City did add Beth Mead, Niamh Charles, and young right back Carlotta Wamser this summer, and that's not nothing. But a midfield creative with Miedema unavailable would have changed the calculus on their title odds considerably. PSG didn't blink. City did.
What this means for the season
The goalkeeping situation is now manageable. Moorhouse knows the WSL, knows English football, and will give Andree Jeglertz a reliable option if Yamashita picks up a knock. With the 2027 World Cup next summer sharpening everyone's focus, there's motivation on both sides to make the loan work.
But City's business this window feels reactive rather than decisive. They're the champions, and they couldn't land their primary attacking target. The window closes Thursday night — and Echegini isn't coming.
