Manchester United captain Katie Zelem has left the club following the expiry of her contract.
The England midfielder’s exit follows the strong reports that goalkeeper Mary Earps is also set to depart for Paris Saint-Germain.
Zelem joined the Red Devils when the team was formed in 2018 and has racked up 161 appearances for the club, scoring 32 goals.
She also led the club to their first Women’s FA Cup triumph last season, beating Tottenham in the final.
A club statement said: “Everyone at Manchester United would like to place on record their thanks to Katie for her excellent service and wish her the best of luck in the next phase of her career.”
1️⃣6️⃣1️⃣ appearances
3️⃣2️⃣ goals
2️⃣ trophies
1️⃣ @KatieZelemThank you for everything, Zel ❤️#MUWomen
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) June 27, 2024
The Manchester-born 28-year-old joined United at the age of eight before leaving their academy in 2013 because they had no women’s team at the time.
She began her career with Liverpool before a season with Juventus prior to returning to United, who she helped reach the WSL in her first campaign.
United’s women’s team is facing an uncertain future following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s takeover of football operations earlier this year.
The British businessman has begun making structural changes to the men’s team but in a recent interview admitted the women’s side is not their current priority.
He said: “We haven’t gone into that level of detail with the women’s football team yet.
“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.”
Zelem has made 12 senior appearances for England and was part of the Lionesses squad who reached the Women’s World Cup final in 2023.
