Gilles joins Bayern on three-year deal

Vanessa Gilles is staying in Europe.

The 29-year-old Canada defender has joined Bayern Munich on a three-year deal from Angel City.

A native of Chateauguay, Que., Gilles spent the past three seasons on loan with Lyon where she won a Division 1 Feminine and Coupe de France in 2023. Gilles reunites with Jose Barcala, who was named as the team's new manager this past weekend. Barcala served as an assistant at Bordeaux where he previously coached Gilles.

"She’s one of the best central defenders in the world as far as tackling and defending in the penalty area are concerned," Bayern technical director Francisco De Sá Fardilha said in a statement. "She also has plenty of experience at the very highest level. Vanessa has won the Olympic Games with her country Canada and has also played in the Champions League final. In that respect, she’ll definitely help us in the big games, particularly in Europe. Vanessa is a player who will perfectly embody the DNA of the club as well as the ‘Mia san mia’ mentality. We’re very happy that she’s chosen to join FC Bayern.”

A product of Cincinnati, Gilles made her pro debut in 2018 with Cypriot side Apollon Limassol before joining Bordeaux for a four-year stint.

Joining the expansion Angel City in 2022, Gilles made seven appearances before heading back to France on loan. Gilles holds the honour of scoring the first goal in Angel City history in a 2-1 win over the North Carolina Courage on Apr. 29, 2022.

"I’m looking forward to working with a team that have represented high ambitions for many years," Gilles said in a statement. "That’s a very good fit for my goals, be it at domestic level or in the Champions League. In addition, the family environment around the whole club impressed me a lot from the start. I want to provide security and stability in defence – my strengths lie particularly in the one-v-one duels. I’m also really excited about working with our new coach. I already know Jose from our time in Bordeaux.”

Among the notable names on the Bayern roster are Sweden duo Pernille Harder and Magdalena Eriksson, Germany midfielder Lena Oberdorf and England midfielder Georgia Stanway.

Internationally, Gilles has been capped 51 times by Canada since her senior debut in 2019. She was a member of the squad that won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.