England defender Morgan to leave Manchester City

Morgan (right) is part of the current England squad for the upcoming Euro 2025 qualifiers

England defender Esme Morgan will leave Manchester City this summer "subject to international clearance".

The 23-year-old, who has eight caps for the Lionesses, looks set to join a club outside the Women's Super League.

Neither City nor Morgan have confirmed her destination but the club said she would be leaving pending clearance and a work permit.

It is likely Morgan will be joining a club in the USA, with BBC Sport understanding that she is set to join National Women's Soccer League side Washington Spirit.

Morgan will link up with former Barcelona manager Jonatan Giraldez in Washington. Giraldez is taking over at Spirit after guiding the Spanish side to victory in the Champions League final on Saturday.

Morgan came through the youth ranks at City, making her professional debut in 2017 and going on to appear in 87 senior matches across all competitions.

She won the Women's FA Cup and League Cup with City, and was part of the team that came second to Chelsea in the WSL this season, missing out on the title on the final day.

"For nine years I have been lucky to live a dream and have the honour of playing for my club," Morgan said in a statement posted to X.

"I'm incredibly thankful for the support of everyone at Man City throughout my journey from the academy to first team, continually opening doors for me to develop as a player and as a person, and always with the right timing."

Morgan made her senior England debut in October 2022 and was part of the squad that reached the final of the 2023 Women's World Cup.