The midfielder joins the Club from Portland Thorns, who she guided to the NWSL Play-Off semi-finals as club captain last year while also being named in the league’s Best XI for a third time in four seasons.
A United States national team regular, Coffey is rapidly approaching 50 senior caps and was a key figure in the Stars and Stripes’ march to Olympic Gold and a SheBelieves Cup triumph in 2024.
Combative, composed and intelligent, Coffey has firmly established herself as one of the best holding midfielders in world football, winning the NWSL Championship in her debut campaign in 2022.
But now the midfielder will embark on her first season outside her native United States, joining Andrée Jeglertz’s City, who currently sit top of the WSL table.
She will wear the number 17 during her time at the Joie Stadium.
Speaking about the move, our new recruit said: “It’s a club with so much history, so much success, so much influence in the city.
“Manchester is not somewhere I’ve been before, but there’s something about it that I felt I was led to and called to.
“I think it’s also a place that just has proven it’s investment in women’s soccer and being a part of this movement that is going on.
“Seeing the facilities, the support the team gets and all the efforts they are putting in for the women’s side is such a huge and positive side and something I’m honoured to be a part of.”
Director of Football Therese Sjogran added: “Sam’s reputation as one of the world’s best speaks for itself, and we’re delighted she’s chosen to come here ahead of other potential suitors.
“We believe she has all the qualities needed to thrive at City and, more broadly, the WSL, and we’re excited to see how she can elevate our already superb squad of players.
“Sam is playing at the top of her game, and I think her decision to come here shows the incredible progress we’ve made as a Club and the ambitions we have moving forward.”
Front Foot Midfielder
Famous for a tucked-in shirt, composure on the ball and excellent reading of the game - Sam Coffey looks every inch the ‘traditional’ number six.
There’s so much more to the US international’s game, though, which has cemented her status as one of the finest midfielders in the modern game.
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Graduating from college football in 2022 after spells with Boston College Eagles and Penn State Nittany Lions, it didn’t take long for the then-24-year-old to find her feet in the professional game.
In her debut season, Coffey helped Portland Thorns win the NWSL Championship and was included in back-to-back NWSL Best XI’s in 2022 and 2023, the latter alongside new City team-mate Kerolin.
She figured more times for the Oregon side than any other player across the following three years, assuming the captaincy in her final campaign and once again being included in the NWSL Best XI as the Thorns reached the semi-finals.
International recognition followed around the same time, with Coffey becoming a crucial figure in a new-look USA side under the guidance of former Chelsea boss, Emma Hayes.
Success followed in 2024 when the midfielder helped the Stars and Stripes win gold at the Paris Olympics, as well as the SheBelieves Cup a few months before.
In short, while the 27-year-old is rarely one to hog the limelight, she’s been making things tick at club and international level for her entire professional career.
Excellent with both feet and confident picking up play in dangerous areas, Coffey is also a dynamic, proactive front-foot midfielder, with her excellent reading of the game meaning she’s rarely exposed.
It’s why Hayes, a coach of tremendous stature in the game, reserves such high praise for our new recruit.
“I think her game has gone to a whole new level,” she said in a July 2025 press conference.
“It’s all of it together, it’s who she is in the locker room, it’s who she is on the field, it’s how she goes about her business, it’s the contributions she makes to the team.
“No one tucks their shirt in like Sam Coffey.”
The final line might’ve been tongue-in-cheek, but Hayes’ assessment of how our new midfielder has developed into a focal point on and off the pitch for the USA should have City fans eagerly anticipating her arrival.
And another line from the same July 2025 press conference adds even more excitement…
“She’s an impeccable learner, she’s always wanting to improve her game. It never ends, it’s never enough.”
Already among the world’s best, there’s more to come from Coffey.
And she’s decided the best place for her to realise that huge potential is at Manchester City.
Season by Season stats
Portland Thorns
2022
Apps: 25
Goals: 1
Assists: 2
Honours: NWSL Championship, NWSL Best XI
2023
Apps: 27
Goals: 0
Assists: 8
Honours: NWSL Best XI (2)
2024
Apps: 25
Goals: 2
Assists: 3
2025
Apps: 32
Goals: 2
Assists: 4
Honours: NWSL Best XI (3)
United States
2022
Caps: 4
Honours: CONCACAF Women’s Championship
2023
Caps: 3
Goals: 1
2024
Caps: 21
Goals: 0
Assists: 1
Honours: Olympic Gold, CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup, SheBelieves Cup
2025
Caps: 14
Goals: 4
