Manchester United have bolstered their midfield with the signing of Sweden international Julia Zigiotti Olme from Bayern Munich on a two-year deal, with the option to extend for a further year.
On the international stage, the 27-year-old featured in every game as Sweden reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2025, where they were ultimately beaten by eventual champions England.
Zigiotti Olme returns to the Women’s Super League after two seasons at Brighton & Hove Albion, before making the switch to German champions Bayern Munich in 2024. In Bavaria, she helped Bayern secure both the Frauen-Bundesliga title and the DFB-Pokal.
Reflecting on her move to the Reds, Zigiotti Olme said, “I am so happy to be here and so happy to get started and to join this family.
“I have been watching Manchester United in the last couple of years and having seen what they have been doing, I am very impressed.
“They are a team that fits me and my style, meeting the players has been great. They were like a family and it was a fantastic way to start.”
Matt Johnson, Manchester United’s director of women’s football, was full of praise for the midfielder: “Julia is one of Europe’s best defensive midfielders who brings a winning mentality and experience of competing in the top competitions.
“On the pitch, she has an insatiable work-rate, ability to win possession back for her team and creative passing range.
“This is a player the fans will enjoy watching this season,” he said.
United will officially kick off their 2025–26 campaign on August 27, in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Women’s Champions League against PSV Eindhoven – an encounter that will take place in Zigiotti Olme’s native Sweden.
United’s Women’s Super League season then begins at Leigh Sports Village on September 7, when Marc Skinner’s side host Leicester City.
Last season, Marc Skinner most often marshalled his midfield in a 4-2-3-1 with Dominique Janssen deployed as the deepest-lying midfielder – her defensive nous, due to having played as a centre-back for large swathes of her career, and comfort on the ball proving crucial – alongside Grace Clinton in a box-to-box role and Ella Toone operating in the No. 10 position.
Other options, such as Simi Awujo, Lisa Naalsund and Hinata Miyazawa, rotated through the middle of the park when Skinner sought more dynamism or cover, but it was Janssen’s screening and Clinton’s relentless engine that provided the platform for Toone’s creative incursions.
Zigiotti Olme’s arrival adds a specialist defensive midfield anchor renowned for her ball-winning, tactical intelligence and precise distribution.
During her season at Bayern Munich, she was praised for her “defensive strength, flexibility and quality on the ball,” and she has routinely displayed her ability to shield her backline by breaking up play and then recycling possession under pressure.
The 27-year-old’s ability to read the game and pick out line-breaking passes will allow Clinton greater licence to surge forward, while freeing Toone to exploit pockets between the lines without exposing the defence.
Having already acclimatised to the pace and physicality of the WSL at Brighton, Zigiotti Olme is expected to immediately slot into the pivot – offering Skinner’s side the perfect blend of steel and sophistication to drive both defensive solidity and swift transitions.
With the Swede set to anchor United’s midfield, Dominique Janssen, an ever-present at Leigh Sports Village last season, could seamlessly transition into the centre-back role she occupied throughout the Netherlands’ Euro 2025 campaign. There, she could compete with Millie Turner for a starting spot alongside captain Maya Le Tissier, while retaining the ability to slot back into midfield whenever Skinner demands additional cover.
Ultimately, Zigiotti Olme’s arrival injects a proven ball-winner into United’s engine room, combining astute positional awareness with crisp, line-breaking passes. Her presence not only fortifies the Red Devils’ midfield resilience and tactical versatility but also bolsters their ambitions of challenging for Women’s Super League honours and mounting a serious Champions League run.