Rebeca Bernal: Man United Women close in on star with “elite positional intelligence” as fourth summer signing | OneFootball

Manchester United Women have been ramping up their preparations for the new season.

Summer so far

At the start of the summer, they sold numerous players such as Melvine Malard, Lisa Naalsund and Millie Turner.

They have also changed manager, as Eva Olid replaced Marc Skinner after he left the club at the start of August.

United have also brought in three players so far: Andrea Medina, Janina Leitzig and Monica Jusu Bah have all been signed up by the club.

The Red Devils are still in need of more support and are moving for another experienced option.

Rebeca Bernal

The Cutback reports that, “Manchester United are finalising a deal to sign Mexican international Rebeca Bernal from NWSL side Washington Spirit.”

Excitingly, sources have told the outlet that, “United are confident of securing the versatile defender before the WSL transfer deadline closes on Thursday.”

Bernal was not present in the squad for their 1-0 win over Bay FC, with the reasoning being an “excused absence”. This is usually a good indication that a move is close.

The Mexican international has been “lauded for her versatility and tactical flexibility. She is a hybrid defensive midfielder/centre-back, often switching between the positions from match to match or even within 90 minutes.”

Therefore, like Dominique Janssen and Maya Le Tissier, she is very comfortable on the ball and will fit Olid’s possession-style tactics like a glove.

ESPN has also described her as a player who is “valued for her elite positional intelligence, aerial dominance, and veteran leadership, the 28-year-old Mexican international serves as a defensive anchor capable of dictating play from deep.”

She has made 65 appearances for her national team, scoring eight goals in total.

Before joining Washington Spirit two years ago, she played over 250 games for C.F. Monterrey, scoring 66 goals in total.