Last month the Club announced two new appointments as part of a brand-new scouting department spearheaded by Sjögran.
Sam Hood and former Blue Laura Coombs will work closely with our Director of Football in their respective roles as Assistant Sporting Director and First Team Scout.
After a busy 2026 summer transfer window, Sjögran detailed the work the duo have already done and for her, it feels like just the beginning of some incredible work the trio will set out to achieve in future windows.
“I think that it’s going to take our programme to the next level,” said Sjögran with a smile when asked about the exciting expansion of the team.
“We have a good knowledge of the top players and the young top players as well, but how do we find a new Laura Coombs or Alex Greenwood or like we need to hit those markets earlier.
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“And with Sam and Laura coming in I think we will have a much bigger capacity to do that.
“And for Laura having just played [for City] she know the Club, she knows the identity, she knows the players we are looking for and the qualities so that’s going to help her a lot.
“She’s been brilliant in this short time she’s been in [the role]. I can already see she has the eye, if that makes sense. Sam I knew because he’s been working in that capacity for a long time.
“But for Laura to come in and doing so well already it shows that she has the eye. So I’m really happy to have them in my staff.”
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And on the impact they both had in the transfer window earlier this year, Sjögran added: “There is so much going on in a window.
“I try to watch a lot of videos myself but to have them watching for me and giving me reports, that helps me a lot.
“I know they are watching that so I can watch other things and then we collaborate and find the right solution.
“And [Carlotta] Wamser we didn’t need to look that much on her but for them to assist me in that way, that’s going to be crucial for me and how we move forward because it’s not only one position you look at.
“I know they are watching that so I can watch other things and then we collaborate and find the right solution.
“And [Carlotta] Wamser we didn’t need to look that much on her but for them to assist me in that way, that’s going to be crucial for me and how we move forward because it’s not only one position you look at.
“If we can split them between [us] that’s going to help everyone. So I would say it’s made my job easier to have them.
“And now we’re planning for the next window and the windows to come. So now I’m intrigued to see what we can accomplish.”
Whilst recruiting top talent is important for any club, Sjögran also has other ambitions.
The Barclays Women’s Super League champions bolstered our squad with the addition of experienced names in Beth Mead, Niamh Charles, Carlotta Wamser and Anna Moorhouse.
But a new strand to the scouting department’s will see them pursue more young, emerging talent that we will look to nurture in our Next Gen and First Team environments.
“Emerging talent, I think that’s an area where we really need to focus on because we have an academy that we’re trying to build as well and we want the best players in England to be in our academy and how do we get them here and how do we spot them before anybody else does and so on,” Sjögran explained.
“So a very important part as well. And then for Laura she will also monitor the players we have on loan, to have that direct contact with them, the clubs that they are playing at at the moment.
“They know they have a person they can always speak to, she’s watching the games, gives them feedback and so on.
“So I think that’s going to be also very important because right now we have some players on loan but hopefully in the future we will have more.
“I mean not too many but so we have a balance in that as well. So she will monitor them in the future also.”
