Charles has been at Chelsea since 2020 Alex Pantling/Getty ImagesMay 31, 2026 Updated 12:19 pm EDTManchester City are set to sign England international Niamh Charles from rivals Chelsea.The left-back has one year left on her contract having signed a three-year extension in January 2024.Nothing has been signed yet and a medical is still to be completed.Charles, 26, has won five Women’s Super League titles since joining the London side in 2020 from Liverpool. The defender missed a large chunk of last season due to an ankle injury but started the last three WSL games as Chelsea finished third in the table.Charles also missed the start of the previous season with a shoulder injury but once again returned to be a reliable asset to Chelsea’s backline, helping them win a domestic treble in 2024-25.City have been in the market for a left-back, announcing on Friday that Leila Ouahabi, who primarily played at left-back but also featured at left centre-back in head coach Andree Jeglertz’s first season, will leave the club when her contract expires this summer.In April The Athletic reported Manchester City were pursuing left-back Katie McCabe but that the 30-year-old had also attracted interest from Chelsea.A move to west London is now looking ever more likely for the Republic of Ireland captain, especially as a natural left-footer like McCabe is a rare commodity in the women’s game.Charles was a mainstay under now-United States Women’s National Team head coach Emma Hayes and flourished in the 2023-2024 season, starting every league game, amassing 1,890 minutes, and recording the most goal-creating actions in the league.She is naturally right-footed but predominantly plays at left-back and can make surging runs on the wing to assist in attack.On the international side, Charles has 32 senior England caps and has become a dependable player under Sarina Wiegman.At the 2025 European Championship she was used as a substitute behind City captain Alex Greenwood. In the final against Spain she came on for Lucy Bronze at right-back in the 105th minute and showed composure by executing a crucial penalty to help the Lionesses defend their European title.