Ona Batlle is chomping at the bit to get her first taste of the Emirates Stadium atmosphere in the 2026/27 season.
Our latest summer signing has arrived from Barcelona and is already eager for the new campaign to get underway so she can soak up the N5 occasion.
Speaking at the Sobha Realty Training Centre after putting pen to paper on her new contract, she said: “I’m very happy, very excited. I can't wait to meet everyone and start with what we like most: being on the pitch and enjoying it.
“It's quite impressive how it's always quite a full stadium. The attendance was always over 30,000 people. That's something I've never seen before. It's very, very impressive. I just can't wait to get that experience, to feel it, to do it for the first time. Of course, it's going to be special.
“It's one of the biggest clubs in Europe, if not the world. I think it's where I feel my game suits the best. I think how they want to play is how I want to play. And, I wanted to be back in England. I think it's the best league and very competitive. So, I think it was perfect for me.”
Indeed, the Spanish full-back is no stranger to the Women’s Super League, having spent three years at Manchester United, where she made 59 top-flight appearances.
It was there that she played alongside Alessia Russo for the first time, and now Ona is looking forward to getting back on the pitch with her old teammate.
“Of course, I think she's a great player,” she said. “She's one of the best nines at the minute. I think she's grown so much and I'm very, very excited to be back with her.”
Ona's arrival bolsters both the quality and quantity in our full-back positions, so how does she feel about co-operating and competing with the likes of Emily Fox, Smilla Holmberg and Taylor Hinds for those positions?
“I think having good players in your position is what makes you get the best out of yourself,” she explained. “Learn from everyone, not only the full-backs, but everyone. Playing against the best wingers [in training], I just think we can learn from everyone.”
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After her time at Manchester United, Ona undertook a homecoming to Barcelona, the club she had left at a young age in 2017.
Since 2023, she has made 66 domestic league appearances for the Spanish champions, scoring nine goals in the process. She won two Champions League titles with Barca, losing the other final to us in 2025.
“It was amazing, being back at home, being able to enjoy it with my family as close as they've been,” she reflected. “I’m so grateful for these years I've had at home. It was a dream come true and I'm very, very grateful.
“In my career, I've played a few times against Arsenal. It's always a tough team to play. It was always the hardest to play. I think the most impressive thing was the mentality. The resilience, how to keep going until the end, the hard work. It was tough.”
Now that the move is complete, Ona is looking forward to settling into life in north London off the pitch and then helping us make an impact on it.
“It’s a new city for me, I always loved London to come round to,” she said. “Spending time with the girls, knowing them. Just a little bit of everything. I can't wait to get started.
“I’m very competitive. I hope we win as many trophies as possible. That's why I came here, I believe in that. I feel the joy of playing at Emirates, playing with these great players for this big club. I enjoy every day.”
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