Official: Emma Koivisto will join AC Milan

Emma Koivisto was expected to leave this summer as her contract was not renewed. The official website has now confirmed that her new destination is AC Milan. The defender will complete the transfer on Monday after her contract with Liverpool officially ends.

Koivisto joined the Reds in 2022 from Brighton and Hove Albion. She has helped the team in their quest to re-establish themselves in the top flight. In total, Koivisto made 51 appearances for the Reds in his two years with the team.

The Finland international was deployed as a defensive right winger in Matt Beard’s typical 2-5-3 formation.

Looking at the current squad members available, only youngster Lucy Parry fits the bill. It is likely that the club either has a replacement in mind, having known of Koivisto’s departure for some time, or considers it a priority to find a player to fill his shoes. This beats the likely assumption that Beard plans to keep his current lineup next year.

The Reds, after first staying in the WSL in 2022-23 and then managing to finish in the top half of the table last season, want to mount a challenge for a European place next season. All transfer thoughts will have this objective in mind. Hopefully their upward trajectory will attract some high-quality players from across Europe.