Mary Earps to leave Manchester United amid interest from PSG

The England goalkeeper, Mary Earps, is poised to leave Manchester United at the end of June when her contract expires.

Earps will depart as a free agent and is understood to be strongly considering a contract offer from Paris Saint-Germain, although a move to the French capital has not been finalised.

United felt they offered Earps a very strong offer to stay, believed to be the most financially lucrative package on the table for Earps, but the 31-year-old goalkeeper is understood to be prioritising trying to win more silverware and play in the Women’s Champions League.

United finished fifth in the Women’s Super League last season, out of the European qualification places, but did win the Women’s FA Cup, the club’s first major women’s honour.

Losing Earps, arguably the most valuable asset at the women’s club, on a free transfer will be seen as a major blow to United, a year since the club also lost the England star Alessia Russo and Spain’s Ona Batlle on free transfers at the end of their contracts.

Discussions between Earps and United were said to be ongoing throughout last season after the club rejected an offer from Arsenal for the goalkeeper during the World Cup last summer, which would have been a world-record transfer fee for a women’s goalkeeper. Arsenal’s interest in Earps is understood to have cooled this winter, when they made the Netherlands keeper Daphne van Domselaar their prime target instead.

Earps has been capped 50 times by England and has been the No 1 choice for the head coach, Sarina Wiegman, since the Dutchwoman took charge of the Lionesses in 2021.

PSG, WCL semi-finalists and runners-up in the French top flight last season, have held interest in Earps for many months and are reportedly willing to make her the highest-paid goalkeeper in the women’s game.