18-year-old midfielder Laila Harbert has joined Portland Thorns on mortgage till January, in a transfer designed to fast-track her improvement within the NWSL.
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18-year-old playmaker/defensive midfielder, Laila Harbert, will spend the primary half of the season within the NWSL presently in fifth place chasing a play-off spot. They’ve 9 common season video games remaining.
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That’s definitely a daring and fascinating selection for the teenager and I’m certain it’s going to speed up her improvement on the proper time. Experiencing a brand new nation, a brand new league, a distinct type of soccer and completely different coaching strategies can solely profit her.
By way of succession planning for the defensive midfield spots at Arsenal, there are more likely to be large modifications on the finish of the season with Lia Wälti and/or on their means out.
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Kyra Cooney-Cross must make the quantity 6 position within the double pivot hers. We all know that Mariona Caldentey can play effectively there and Victoria Pelova performed many video games there with success below Jonas Eidevall.
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You’d count on Arsenal to purchase a quantity 6 both on this window, the January one or subsequent summer time. Then, Harbert might enter the rotation as one of many 4 defensive midfield gamers in summer time 2026 if she is prepared, or a 12 months later.
Laila jogs my memory of Cesc Fàbregas. She is technically sturdy, can use each toes, and her execution in tight areas with one or two touches is great. She is there if you wish to construct up play from midfield and she will go the ball.
She is an actual diamond that simply must be polished.
We’ve got seen all her qualities frequently with the England youth groups on the U17 and U19 Euros in addition to on the U17 Girls’s World Cup. She had fairly a profitable mortgage at Southampton within the second a part of the season and I actually suppose the Portland mortgage will develop her first as an individual after which as a footballer.
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Hopefully, she’s going to develop assertiveness and management qualities over there in addition to getting bodily stronger and faster, which is required within the NWSL.
She may very well be a mainstay within the Arsenal staff sooner or later for a few years to return if issues go based on plan.