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London City Lionesses have added another layer to their evolving squad by signing Daniela Arques from Sporting Clube de Portugal on a three-year contract. The 20-year-old midfielder arrives with senior experience in Spain and Portugal, having made 32 appearances and provided three assists for Sporting during the 2025/26 campaign. She is still early in her development, but she is no longer stepping into senior football for the first time. That distinction makes Arques an interesting addition. London City have recruited players capable of raising expectations immediately, but a sustainable squad cannot be built entirely around established names. It also needs footballers who can develop within that environment and gradually assume greater responsibility. Transfer Snapshot - Player: Daniela Arques - Age: 20 - Position: Midfielder - From: Sporting Clube de Portugal - To: London City Lionesses - Contract: Three years - Transfer status: Permanent transfer - 2025/26 record: 32 appearances, three assists Senior Experience Without a Finished Profile Daniela Arques began her development at SMX Athletic Club de Murcia before joining Alhama, where she progressed into the senior side while still a teenager. A move to Levante followed in 2023, introducing her to Spain’s top division before Sporting brought her to Portugal two years later. Her season in Lisbon provided something particularly valuable for a young midfielder: regular involvement. Playing 32 matches in one campaign gave Arques the opportunity to experience the physical and tactical demands of senior football consistently. London City are therefore signing potential, but potential that has already been tested beyond academy and youth international football. Her three assists do not define the season. The more relevant figure is the number of games she played, because it suggests Sporting trusted her to hold an important position in their midfield. A Place to Learn Without Starting Again Daniela Arques described the move to England as an opportunity to develop both as a footballer and as a person. She also highlighted the chance to learn from the experienced players already in London City’s squad. The arrival of Alexia Putellas demonstrated London City’s ability to attract one of the game’s most accomplished players. Arques represents a different part of the same recruitment plan. She is not expected to bring the same status or influence immediately, but training and playing alongside established internationals may accelerate her progress. There will still be a significant adjustment. The Women’s Super League presents a new competitive and physical challenge, while Arques must earn her place in a squad assembled with considerable ambition. Her experience in two different domestic leagues should at least make that transition less daunting. Success With Spain’s Next Generation Arques arrives with a strong record at youth international level. After winning the UEFA Under-16 Development Tournament in 2022, she became a European Under-19 champion with Spain in both 2024 and 2025. Winning the competition in consecutive years placed her within a generation accustomed to carrying high expectations. Youth titles do not guarantee a smooth transition into elite senior football, but they do show that Arques has already operated in teams expected to control matches and compete for trophies. The next stage is turning that background into a clearly defined senior role. Building Beyond the Headline Signings London City’s most prominent arrivals will naturally attract the greatest attention, but Daniela Arques could reveal just as much about the club’s longer-term thinking. She joins with enough experience to compete for opportunities now and enough development still ahead of her to justify a three-year commitment. If London City can provide meaningful minutes while surrounding her with high-level teammates, they may have secured a midfielder whose importance increases as the project develops. The intrigue is not whether Arques can arrive as one of the squad’s leading figures. It is whether this environment can help her become one. Source: London City Lionesses