Laia Codina signs for West Ham and arrives with three Champions titles

West Ham United have agreed the signing of Spanish centre-back Laia Codina, a 2023 world champion. The defender leaves Arsenal and arrives on a three-year contract, reinforcing a team that is clearly betting on the growing Barclays Women’s Super League.

Who is Laia Codina

At 26, Codina has already built a résumé that rivals that of much more experienced veterans. Born in Campllong, she joined Barcelona’s youth ranks at 14 and established herself in the senior side in the 2020/21 season, the year the Catalan club won the Liga F and the UEFA Women’s Champions League. In total, she lifted seven trophies with Barça, including three national titles and two women’s Champions Leagues.

After a season on loan at AC Milan, the centre-back arrived at Arsenal in August 2023. In three seasons with the Gunners, she made 58 appearances, helping the club win the Women’s League Cup in 2024, the UEFA Women’s Champions League in 2025 and the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup in 2026. Three European titles won at two different clubs. Few can say the same.

The World Cup that defines a generation

The high point of Codina’s career at international level was the 2023 Women’s World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand. The Spaniard started in all four knockout ties, including the final against England, and scored against Switzerland in the round of 16. More than just taking part, she was a central figure in the campaign that crowned the Spanish side as the best in the world.

The project that convinced the defender

The arrival at West Ham has a clear common thread: head coach Rita Guarino. Codina crossed paths with the manager while still at Milan, facing the Inter side she led. When contact happened this time, the decision was quick. “When we spoke, I was very excited about this project,” the player said in an official club statement.

Guarino, in turn, was direct in praising the new signing. For the coach, Codina is a “proven winner”, someone with defensive aggression, the ability to play out from the back and leadership on the pitch. In rapidly growing women’s football, this kind of profile has market value and real impact in the dressing room.

West Ham have been climbing positions in the WSL in recent years. Signing a player with Laia Codina’s track record is a sign that the club does not just want to feature – it wants to fight for titles.