Wrexham A.F.C. have signed 19-year-old forward Lydia Sallaway from Aston Villa on a season-long loan ahead of the club’s historic 2026/27 UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL) campaign. The loan will see Sallaway join a squad that has already added Jamaica international Natasha Thomas, Lucy Farrell, Bella Reidford and Mikayla Cook in a bid to strengthen the side for Europe’s top competition.
Sallaway, who spent last season on loan at Glasgow City in the Scottish Women’s Premier League, has represented Aston Villa in both the Women’s Super League and the League Cup. Wrexham head coach Jenny Sugarman welcomed the deal, saying the club is grateful to Villa for trusting them with a young talent. “Lydia is a young player with huge potential and now she needs the opportunity to show herself at senior level,” Sugarman said. “She’s a very good technician, loves defending, is keen to learn, and is ready to compete. I want to thank Aston Villa for working with us on this loan deal. We believe our environment is one that will challenge and support Lydia on the next steps in her development.”
The club’s UWCL qualification will begin on 22 July with a home tie against Armenian champions FC Pyunik at the Racecourse Ground. Wrexham will host the match as the Welsh club hosts its first Champions League fixture in a decade. The other semi-final sees Glentoran of Northern Ireland take on Riga FC of Latvia, with the winners meeting in the final and the victor advancing to the second qualifying round.
In domestic competition, Wrexham sit 7th in the Championship with 71 points from 46 games: 19 wins, 14 draws and 13 losses. The team has scored 69 goals and conceded 65, giving a +4 goal difference. Recent form is a draw, loss, win, win, loss (DLWWL). The club is 24 points behind leaders Coventry in the title race.
With the addition of Sallaway, Wrexham aim to bolster their squad ahead of the challenging UWCL run. The club’s investment in talent and infrastructure signals a commitment to competing at the highest level of European women’s football.
