WSL transfer news: Asmita Ale set to join Leicester City after Spurs exit while Aqsa Mushtaq signs deal with OFI Crete

Young England international Asmita Ale is set to join Leicester City, Sky Sports News he understands.

Ale, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Leicester from Tottenham, was the only footballer from Britain’s South Asian community – male or female – to play in England’s top flight last season.

The full-back played in Leicester’s Women’s FA Cup win over Birmingham City before featuring in the quarter-final win over Liverpool, helping the Foxes reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in their history.

Ale spent over a decade at Aston Villa, signing a professional contract with the West Midlands club at the age of 18 and becoming the first player of Nepalese descent to sign a professional contract in English football.

The 22-year-old made 18 appearances in Villa’s debut WSL campaign, helping them keep three clean sheets in the final five games of the season before joining Tottenham in the summer of 2021.

The defender is an England youth international who has played at different age levels, most recently in the inaugural Under-23 European League.

Ale has been named in the British South Asians’ 2023/24 football squad of the season, securing her place in the squad for the second season running.

Mushtaq signs new agreement with OFI Crete

Aqsa Mushtaq has signed a new one-year contract with OFI Crete after an impressive debut season with the club.

Mushtaq, born in Bradford, who appears in the first timeline documenting the history of players of South Asian descent in modern women’s football, helped OFI finish second behind conquerors PAOK, scoring 10 league goals and contributing eight assists.

OFI Crete said in a statement: “Aqsa, with her numerous experiences abroad, remains an irreplaceable part of our team.

“It is no coincidence that she has been selected in Sky Sports’ South Asia Football Team of the Season 2023/24.

“This award, which honors male and female footballers of South Asian origin, affirms Aqsa’s unquestionable quality and passion for football.

“We wish Aqsa a year full of goals, success and passion, free from injuries. We are confident that she will continue to impress us and raise the bar.”

Mushtaq moved to OFI Crete last year after Sky Sports News revealed that the attacking midfielder was set to join the club.

Sky Sports News broke the news that Mushtaq – who spent the second half of the 2022/23 season with Championship side Lewes FC – was set to return to Greece, where she has a great reputation as a player.

Mushtaq previously played for Cretan side Avantes Chalkida, winning the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

The winger graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne University, where he scored 13 goals in 17 games in his final season at North Carolina State.

In 2019, she was named South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year, which helped secure her move to Napoli, where she became the first player of Pakistani descent to join a women’s team playing in Italy’s top flight.

Chandarana: It’s amazing to see the talent demonstrated

The South Asians in the Football Team of the Season were on display in Gravesend on Saturday as Punjab United hosted Sporting Khalsa at the Steve Cook Stadium – in second annual commemorative event between the two sides ahead of South Asian Heritage Month, which runs from July 18 to August 17.

Punjab United and Sporting Khalsa have Sikh ownership and both teams play in Division 4 of the National League System, the eighth tier of English football.

Millie Chandarana – who was part of the team and was the only British South Asian with a professional contract in the Women’s Championship last season – said she was proud her story was being shared and doing her part to raise positive awareness.

“It’s great that the Team of the Season can be presented at such an incredible game that is taking place for the second year running,” she said. Sky Sports News.

“I think it’s also down to the great talent that’s on the pitch right now in the UK. To be showcased is incredible in itself because everyone should know about the great South Asian talent in the UK.

“I hope that in the coming years there will be a lot more people joining this team. It’s great to know that it will be showcased at an event and a game like this.”

British South Asians in Football

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