Nikita Parris to join newly-promoted London City Lionesses from Brighton

Nikita Parris is poised to join Women’s Super League side London City Lionesses after her contract with Brighton & Hove Albion expired.

Parris is set to become the latest signing to join London City in a busy summer since their promotion.

The club, which is owned by American investor Michelle Kang, have already completed the signings of Danielle van de Donk from Lyon, Sanni Franssi and Elene Lete from Real Sociedad, Isa Kardinaal from Ajax, Teyah Goldie from Arsenal and Poppy Pattinson, also from Brighton.

Parris joined Brighton from Manchester United in summer 2024 and scored seven goals in 22 appearances for the club in last season’s top flight.

The 31-year-old made her senior debut for hometown club Everton in 2010, aged 16, and has since represented Manchester City, OL Lyonnes, Arsenal, United and Brighton.

The winger helped Lyon to the Champions League in 2020 as part of a treble-winning campaign, and won the Women’s Super League with City in 2016. She has twice won the FA Cup, with City and United, in 2017 and 2024, respectively.

A member of England’s Euro 2022 winning squad, Parris has won 74 caps for the Lionesses, scoring 17 goals, with her last appearance for the national team coming in February this year.

The forward was left out of Sarina Wiegman’s England squad for this summer’s Euros. She described the decision as “very disappointing” at the time but insisted she would not have done anything differently during the campaign.

“It’s always hard when you get that sort of news,” Parris said in a podcast with Sky Sports. “The biggest thing for me is that I gave it everything. People say, ‘Do you have any regrets or anything you wish you would have done?’ And I don’t.

“Because of that, there’s nothing I can say I wish I could’ve, would’ve, should’ve done.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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