Liverpool FC Women have completed the signing of midfielder Julia Bartel on loan until the end of the season.
The Spanish U23 international joins the Reds from her parent club Chelsea after a move from Barcelona last summer.
The 20-year-old made several appearances for the Barcelona first team as well as being a mainstay of their ‘B’ team, making more than 100 appearances and helping them to back-to-back league titles.
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Internationally she has excelled in tournament football with Spain, winning European U19 titles in 2022 and 2023, scoring a late winner in the final of the former and being selected to the Team of the Tournament in the latter.
She was also instrumental in Spain winning the U20 World Cup in 2022 playing every game in the tournament.
The player herself is looking forward to a new phase of her career on Merseyside and believes it is somewhere she can flourish.
Bartel said: “I’m very happy to be here in Liverpool in a big club and I’m looking forward to starting.
“I think Liverpool is one of the big teams in this league and I think the style of play of this club can be great for me and I’m so excited to start the season here.
“It’s been a change in my career in a new country but I’m happy here, it’s a new league, a different league from Spain and I think I’m adapting here.”
Asked about what qualities fans can expect to see from her on the pitch, she added: “I’m a player who wants to have the ball, an assertive player and I want to give these things to a team.
“I want to enjoy the training and matches with the team, to help and to win as many matches as possible with this team.”
LFC Women manager Matt Beard believes he has secured a player with the ability to provide a positive boost to his squad for the next few months.
He said: “Julia is a very gifted player technically who can pass off both feet and, having had the education of growing up in the Barcelona Academy and playing with Barcelona, we’re getting a very tactically astute player.
“We watched her for the Spanish U20s and with Barcelona and she’ll definitely add something different to our midfield.
“It’s great for us because when Herby (Marie Hobinger) is back we’ll now have six players vying for three spots, so we’re really excited to have her here.”
Bartel has been training with her new teammates at the AXA Melwood training ground this week and will wear the number 19 shirt during her spell at the club.
