Manchester United Women have announced that the club has reached an agreement for the signing of Swedish international defender Hanna Lundkvist.
Having just departed American outfit San Diego Wave FC last week, Hanna Lundkvist is set to become a Man United and Women’s Super League (WSL) player on 1 January 2026.
Leaving the US after more than a year in the National Women’s Soccer League – Lundkvist signed for San Diego back in February 2024 – she has already spoken highly of England’s premier female division.
At just 23 and having already made 17 appearances for her country, including every game at the most recent Women’s Euros, she’s a highly-rated European prospect.
With the club already confirming the deal ahead of being fully unveiled as an official United Women’s signing, she will be the fourth member of the Sweden national setup in the squad after Anna Sandberg, Fridolina Rolfo and Julia Zigiotti Olme.
ADVERTISEMENT
The ex-AIK and Hammarby IF youth is also set to face another one of her former teams, Atlético Madrid, in the growing Greater Manchester side’s knockout phase play-off fixture in the UEFA Women’s Champions League (WCL) this coming February.
Making it through to the next stage after beating fellow group qualifiers Juventus earlier this month, it remains to be seen how far Marc Skinner‘s side will go in their debut WCL campaign.
ADVERTISEMENT
Her arrival is the first in what Skinner has already built up as an “aggressive” period of recruitment in the New Year, with the women’s transfer window set to close on Tuesday, 3 February, just a day after the male equivalent does.
As for Lundkvist, she’s already been given the seal of approval by her coach and the club, even being given a big defensive number.
Putting pen to paper on a contract until 2029, Lundkvist said in a statement: “I am really excited to be here; Manchester United is a club with an amazing history. You can feel how much they have grown in the last few years, competing in one of the strongest leagues in the world and performing in the WCL.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Speaking with Marc and the coaches confirmed all of the great things I have heard about the culture of the team here. I cannot wait to get started and help the group to achieve more success.”
Director of women’s football at Man United, Matt Johnson, went on to add: “We are delighted to have signed a player with excellent experience at both club and international level at such a young age.
“Hanna will add further quality and energy to our defence; her determination and attitude will really help the group as we continue to compete across domestic and European competitions.”
Over in the blue half of Manchester, another youngster is reportedly heading out on his second loan spell in the January transfer window.
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.
It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.
“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.
He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.
“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”
The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)
The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.
Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”
However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.
“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.
The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.
The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.
No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.
Danny Jones -
27th December 2025 
