Image caption, Mathilde Harviken (left) and Justine Kielland played together for Norway in June before both joined Aston Villa ByEmma SmithBBC Sport journalist at Bodymoor Heath Training Ground Published 33 minutes ago After finishing a disappointing ninth in the Women's Super League last season, Aston Villa have freshened things up by adding Scandinavian talent to their squad.
Players from Scandinavia are no novelty in the WSL, it is a well-sailed passage across the North Sea for players from the region.
But Villa signing four Scandinavian players this summer - three from Norway and one from Denmark - among eight senior arrivals, having previously had none, is notable.
The total number of senior players from Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark in the WSL is 42 across 14 clubs, and Villa now have the fourth largest contingent behind Tottenham (10), Manchester United (seven) and Liverpool (six).
Manager Natalie Arroyo and the Villa recruitment team have turned to Scandinavia to help plug senior squad gaps left by the departures of Kirsty Hanson to Spurs and Ebony Salmon to West Ham, and the retirement of Lucy Staniforth, among others.
And they hope the new arrivals can bump Villa back into the 'best of the rest' conversation.
The Villans have not matched the heights of fifth place in 2023 and last year's ninth was their lowest WSL finish in five years.
Three of the new arrivals are Norway internationals - defender Mathilde Harviken and midfielders Kamilla Melgard and Justine Kielland.
Also arriving is Denmark striker Amalie Vangsgaard.
She joins from Juventus, as does Harviken.
'We are good friends' Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Kamilla Melgard (right) will help Villa fill gaps left by the departures of Lucy Staniforth and Kirsty Hanson Kieland hopes these pre-existing relationships can provide immediate results at Villa Park.
"I knew Mathilde from the national team, we are good friends, so we spoke about joining the team," she told BBC Sport.
"It's nice having a lot of fellow Norwegians, Scandinavians - we speak the same language.
"But all three of us are quite independent, we are looking for what is the best fit for our career, so it is a good sign we have all decided this is an attractive club and a good place to be.
"For many Scandinavian players, England is a good place to be as it is a competitive league, every week you are able to perform at a higher level.
"I am comfortable in midfield with Mathilde behind me, but we have to integrate that into the whole team, to have all the players working together.
"In Norway we have grown up with the fact England is a great footballing nation, and we see there is a competitive league.
If players want to develop, England is a good place to be." 'After training we have coffee or dinner' Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Amalie Vangsgaard has helped Denmark qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup It is not the first time a WSL club have turned to Scandinavia to try to improve results.
Former Manchester United boss Marc Skinner brought in Hanna Lundkvist and Ellen Wangerheim during the January transfer window and believes Sweden's Damallsvenskan acts as the ideal incubator for young talent.
"They play many games at a young age so they learn to make mistakes," he said.
"Their exposure is at a high level and that gives them a head start into that early pressure.
Dealing with that and the resilience they learn allows them to come and play here." In January, Spurs manager Martin Ho also brought in four players from Norway and Sweden to boost his team as they finished fifth in the WSL.
Under previous manager Brian Sorensen - a Dane - Everton had eight Scandinavian players on their books during the 2023-24 season.
At Everton, the Swedish players would meet up to walk their dogs.
Kieland says the Norwegians at Villa are going to live in the same part of Birmingham, while Harviken says shared interests are helping them settle in their new city.
"It's nice to have other Norwegians and Scandinavians I knew before," Harviken adds.
"I spoke with Kristine and Amalie before I came here, we know each other well, that makes things easier to get settled.
They are a nice group of people; after training we will have coffee or dinner.
"It's positive to know each other's strengths, the balls they like to receive.
"Scandinavians fit in this league because it is physical and competitive, and we often have a lot of strength." Of Villa's 27-player senior squad, 18 have joined the club since 2025.
Arroyo, despite last year's disappointing finish, is being trusted with a major overhaul project.
It now needs results.
'The Champions League is not out of reach' Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Despite joining in 2024, Missy Bo Kearns is already one of Villa's longest serving players If Villa are to succeed, then the experience of their longer-serving players - including WSL mainstays such as defender Anna Patten, midfielder Missy Bo Kearns and star striker Rachel Daly - will have a major role to play.
"We have a lot of new players from different leagues, so I can integrate and drive them, show them what the standards are to be a top WSL team," Kearns told BBC Sport.
"I have played a lot of football in the WSL and English football, it helps a lot.
And as the league develops, we grow with the league and develop." Villa may not be WSL founder members but, entering their seventh year in the top flight, they are mainstays.
Having played all their home league games at Villa Park since 2024, they have looked to position themselves as one of the league's bigger sides.
Like their WSL mid-table rivals, their summer investment shows their desire to push towards the top four.
We should be careful not to conflate the expectations of a club's men's and women's teams, but the men are in the Champions League this season and Villa's women also have eyes on Europe.
"The top teams of course invest and sign players for a lot of money, but you also have mid-table teams pushing for those top spots," goalkeeper Emily Ramsey - one of the eight summer signings, from Everton - tells BBC Sport.
"London City have invested a lot of money, they will expect to challenge.
Spurs and Brighton showed they could do it at times last season.
There is no longer so many expected outcomes, the top teams feel that which is why they are investing.
"For Aston Villa, there is nothing to be afraid of when it comes to trying to push up for those European spots." So is Champions League the aim?
"I don't think that is out of reach.
We want to play with the shackles off; we want to make Villa Park a hard place to come and play.
