Manchester United Women have made a decision regarding the future of two of their young starlets.
Loan spells
United had five players out on loan from their Women’s team this season. To follow where all of United’s loanees are in action this season, click here.
Lucy Newell has been playing at Birmingham City, while Jess Simpson has been gaining much-needed game time at Southampton.
Scottish midfielder Emma Watson is also currently out on loan at Crystal Palace.
The duo of Kiera Barry and Evie Rabjohn were also collecting valuable first-team experience at Sunderland in the Championship, but they have been recalled this month from their spells.
Recalled from loan spells
The club’s official website reported earlier today, “Keira Barry and Evie Rabjohn have returned to Manchester United Women after spending the first half of the season on loan with second-tier side Sunderland.”
ℹ️ We can confirm that @Evie_Rabjohn and Keira Barry have returned from their respective loans at Sunderland 🤝
Read more 📲 https://t.co/Qa8ywrnVIm pic.twitter.com/BmKPfXgIXz
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) January 6, 2026
Barry played 11 games for the Black Cats and was on target three times.
Her goals included a double in the FA Cup against Derby County and a strike away to rivals Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.
Rabjohn featured six times for Sunderland as she has been finding her feet again after a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury that badly disrupted her season last year.
She made her debut against Liverpool in the League Cup.
Future
It is unclear what the future holds for both young players.
On the one hand, Marc Skinner’s side are involved in four different tournaments and will need extra bodies to cover all the additional minutes they will be playing.
On the other hand, it is unlikely that either Barry or Rabjohn would see any meaningful minutes, especially attacker Barry, given that United have just pulled off the exciting signing of Lea Schuller from Bayern Munich. Therefore, it seems likely United will pursue another temporary switch for the duo.
Keira Barry and Evie Rabjohn Sunderland stats
| Player | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keira Barry | 11 | 3 | 1 |
| Evie Rabjohn | 6 | 0 | 0 |
Source: fotmob.com
Featured image Michael Campanella via Getty Images
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