Manchester City have made two contrasting decisions concerning young midfielders, with Aemu Oyama joining HB Køge permanently and Amelia Oldroyd signing her first professional contract.
Oyama leaves after making only two senior appearances during 19 months at City, while Oldroyd has been rewarded for her progress despite not yet making her first-team debut.
Announced within three hours of one another, the deals underline how City are continuing to reshape the group beneath Andrée Jeglertz’s established first-team squad. One young midfielder has departed in search of a clearer route to regular football; another has moved a step closer to the senior side.
Aemu Oyama Joins HB Køge Permanently
Oyama has completed a permanent transfer to Danish club HB Køge, bringing her Manchester City career to an end.
The 21-year-old joined City from Waseda University in January 2025 and made her debut as a second-half substitute during a victory over Aston Villa. She recorded one further senior appearance during the remainder of the 2024/25 season.
Oyama was also selected for the inaugural World Sevens tournament in Portugal during the summer of 2025, appearing three times. Regular competitive opportunities remained difficult to secure, however. A six-month loan with Swedish club Rosengård followed before she returned to Manchester.
Although Oyama regularly featured in City’s matchday squads during their WSL and Women’s FA Cup-winning 2025/26 campaign, she was unable to establish a place on the pitch.
Her transfer to HB Køge should provide a more realistic route to sustained senior minutes. The Danish club have experience competing domestically and in Europe, including an appearance in the inaugural Women’s Champions League group stage in 2021/22.
For Oyama, the move turns a period spent around an elite squad into an opportunity to build a more substantial playing record.
Transfer Snapshot
- Aemu Oyama
- Age: 21
- Position: Midfielder
- From: Manchester City
- To: HB Køge
- Transfer: Permanent
- Fee: Undisclosed
- Manchester City appearances: Two
Manchester City Invest in Amelia Oldroyd
As Oyama leaves, Oldroyd has received her first professional contract after impressing within City’s Next Gen programme.
The 19-year-old midfielder joined Manchester City from rivals Manchester United in October 2025. She quickly became an important figure for City’s Next Gen side, helping the team finish fifth during its first season in the PGA Under-21 competition.
Oldroyd has yet to make her competitive senior debut, but she was included in first-team squads against Liverpool, West Ham, Everton and Manchester United in the WSL. She was also selected for the League Cup trip to Newcastle United.
Those inclusions indicate that City already consider the Scotland Under-19 international capable of working within the senior environment.
Her immediate priority will be completing her rehabilitation from injury. Director of Football Therese Sjögran highlighted Oldroyd’s dedication during that process when confirming the contract, although City have not disclosed its duration or provided a timetable for her return.
What Comes Next for Oldroyd?
Signing professional terms does not guarantee Oldroyd a place in Jeglertz’s midfield. City enter the new season as defending WSL champions, and competition for senior minutes remains significant. Even Oyama’s experience demonstrates how being regularly included around the first team does not always produce meaningful playing time.
Oldroyd must first return to full fitness before attempting to progress from matchday-squad involvement to a competitive debut. City must then decide whether her development is best served by remaining with the Next Gen and senior groups or eventually gaining regular football through a loan.
Her combative and energetic midfield profile gives the club a different young option, but the coming season should initially be viewed as another developmental step.
Two Decisions at Different Points of the Pathway
The two announcements show the separate stages young players can reach within an elite squad. Oyama had already arrived from senior and university football in Japan, made her City debut and completed a loan abroad. After only two senior appearances, another permanent season on the edge of the squad offered limited developmental value.
Oldroyd is earlier in the process. Her first professional deal allows City to retain a midfielder they believe can continue progressing, while giving her time to recover from injury and work towards a senior opportunity.
Neither decision significantly changes the first-team midfield immediately. Together, however, they clarify how City are managing the players immediately below it.
Oyama now receives the opportunity to pursue regular senior football with HB Køge. Oldroyd has earned the chance to show that her place around Manchester City’s first team can eventually become a place within it.
Transfer Snapshot
- Amelia Oldroyd
- Age: 19
- Position: Midfielder
- Club: Manchester City
- Agreement: First professional contract
- Contract length: Not disclosed
- Senior appearances: None
- International level: Scotland Under-19s
Source: Manchester City
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