Laia Codina

The 2024/25 campaign was one that promised much but ended in personal disappointment for talented Spanish centre back Laia, despite her being fit enough to make the bench for the Champions League final. The technically gifted defender started nine of our first ten matches and opened her account for the season by scoring an equaliser at Bayern Munich to make it 2-2 before we went on to lose 5-2, only to suffer a pelvic issue that restricted her appearances thereafter and eventually ruled her out of Euro 2025. 

Excellent on the ball and at intercepting passes, Laia joined us from Barcelona in the summer of 2023 and was instrumental in the Gunners winning the League Cup in 2024, having won seven major honours, including three league titles and two Champions Leagues, with the Catalan club either side of a loan spell at AC Milan in 2021/22. 

The centre back made her international debut in 2022 and starred at her first major tournament by helping Spain win the World Cup in 2023 – she started every knockout game including the victory over England in the final. Laia was also a key player as La Rojas won the inaugural UEFA Women’s Nations League in February 2024.