Sporting CP have signed English midfielder Ruby Grant from Bayer Leverkusen on a permanent transfer after the 24-year-old left the Frauen-Bundesliga club with one year remaining on her contract.
Neither Sporting nor Leverkusen have disclosed the transfer fee or the length of Grant’s new contract. The move gives her an opportunity to pursue more regular playing time with the Portuguese runners-up after increased competition for places at Leverkusen.
Grant made 36 appearances in all competitions during her 18 months with the German club, scoring once. She featured in all 22 of Leverkusen’s Bundesliga matches last season, starting 11 and appearing 11 times as a substitute.
Transfer Snapshot
- Player: Ruby Grant
- Age: 24
- Position: Midfield (central)
- From: Bayer Leverkusen
- To: Sporting CP
- Transfer: Permanent
- Fee: Undisclosed
- Contract length: Not announced
- Leverkusen record: 36 appearances and one goal
- 2025/26 Bundesliga record: 22 appearances, including 11 starts
- International experience: Former England youth and Under-23 international
Grant moves in search of regular minutes
Grant joined Leverkusen from Swedish side BK Häcken in January 2025 and remained involved throughout her first full Bundesliga season.
However, she was not included in the squad for Leverkusen’s opening two league matches of the 2026/27 campaign against RB Leipzig and Wolfsburg. Sporting completed her signing shortly afterwards.
Leverkusen sporting director Achim Feifel described Grant as a reliable team player and explained that competition within the squad had increased during the summer. He said the move would allow the midfielder to pursue her objective of playing more regularly.
Ruby Grant thanked her teammates and the Leverkusen staff following the transfer, saying she was proud to have represented the club while looking forward to the next stage of her career.
Sporting add an attack-minded midfielder
Sporting have introduced Grant as a central midfielder, although she can contribute in several attacking roles. The former England youth international describes herself as a creative, attack-minded player who is prepared to work for the team. Her recent experience in Germany has also helped her adapt to the physical side of the game.
“I like to think I’m very creative and attack-minded,” Grant told Sporting’s club media. “I like to work hard for the team.”
The move also reunites Ruby Grant with Georgia Eaton-Collins. The two played together in the United States with the North Carolina Tar Heels, and Eaton-Collins now captains Sporting.
Grant said having a familiar teammate would help her settle, describing the defender as both a strong leader and a good person.
Experience in England, the United States and Europe
Born in London on 15 April 2002, Grant developed in Arsenal’s academy and made her senior debut for the club as a teenager. She also spent time with West Ham United before moving to the United States to play college football for North Carolina.
Her return to Europe took her to BK Häcken in Sweden and then Leverkusen, where she gained experience in one of Europe’s strongest domestic leagues.
Ruby Grant has represented England at youth level, including with the Under-23 team, but has not made a senior international appearance.
She now joins a Sporting side attempting to build on a second-place finish in Portugal. The midfielder believes her Bundesliga experience can help her contribute immediately in Lisbon.
Source: Sporting CP
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