Utah Royals
Utah Royals FC sign Spanish defender Ana Tejada
Utah Royals FC sign Spanish defender Ana Tejada to a three-year contract with an option for a fourth.
Utah Royals FC have signed Spanish center back Ana Tejada for an undisclosed fee to a three-year contract with an option for a fourth from Spanish club Real Sociedad of Liga F, which is Spain's highest tier of women's football in Spain. Tejada's arrival in Utah is pending an international visa.
Tejada is Utah's third signing in a week, hoping to help a team that is visibly struggling on the pitch. Last week, the club signed New Zealand midfielder Macey Leigh Fraser to a three-year contract with an option for a fourth. On Saturday, the Royals made a trade with Angel City FC for $75,000 in allocation money in exchange for French midfielder Amandine Henry. The signings are way to get back to the drawing board after a disappointing start, and the injury list starting to grow. Utah had wanted to rely heavily on the young and slightly inexperienced roster it had at the beginning of the season, but realistically, especially in a highly-competitive league, the club needed to act as the Royals are near the bottom of the NWSL standings. The Royals lost to Racing Louisville 5-1 as the team conceded four goals the last 20 minutes of the game on Saturday.
Though 21 years old, Tejada has been a pro since the age of 15, joining Dux Logroño in 2017, helping the club gain promotion in 2018. At that time, she was the youngest active player in Spain's top division. Tejada signed with Real Sociedad in 2019, making 95 appearances. She has also international experience at the youth and senior levels, winning the UEFA Women’s U-17 Championship, FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, and the FIFA U-22 Women’s World Cup. Tejada has one apperance so far with the senior national team, making an appearance in 2022 as a substitute against Argentina. The club expects Tejada to make an immediate impact.
