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You are a rising star. Go get your dues! Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan AND Jeff Rueter — welcome full time!
Million dollar transfer
Chelsea have completed the transfer of American defender Naomi Girmy
We’ve known for a long time that US Women’s National Team defender Naomi Girma is valuable.
She shined with the San Diego Wave and the national team, playing a key role at center back. She has won an NCAA Championship, an NWSL Shield, two Defender of the Year awards and an Olympic gold medal.
USWNT coach Emma Hayes said she is “the best defender” she has ever seen. “Never.”
Now Chelsea Women are set to make a record investment to sign Girma: transfer amount $1.1 million, as Meg announced earlier today. The Women’s Super League team have reached an agreement with San Diego, where Girma is under contract until 2026, but her new contract with Chelsea is not yet official.
Chelsea previously held the transfer record from 2024 when they signed Colombian striker Mayra Ramirez for over half a million dollars from Levante in Ligue F. That record only lasted a few weeks before Bay FC practically doubled the stake when they signed Racheal Kundananji for a fee of 862,000 Madrid CFF dollars.
Girma was a vital asset to the United States in their pursuit of the Olympic gold medal last summer. Before that, however, she was selected first overall in the 2022 NWSL Draft and won the Rookie of the Year award and her first Defender of the Year award in her first season.
Chelsea weren’t the only team targeting the 24-year-old. Current French leaders Lyon have also shown interest, offering San Diego over $1 million.
What makes a defender a millionaire?
Forwards are rated according to the number of goals, creative midfielders according to assists. Goalkeepers can boast of their saves and goalless games.
Despite advances in statistics such as expected goals, expected assists and goals conceded, the work of an elite defender remains difficult to quantify in numbers.
So how do you measure a talent like Girma, who was one of the few bright spots in a forgettable World Cup for the United States and shined again in 2024 despite the San Diego Wave’s form?
Stats such as tackles and saves (and goalkeepers, saves) are often more representative of a team under pressure than individual quality. But it is clear that Girma is difficult to get around.
- He very often succeeds in his tricks.
- She is smart with her hits.
- While her completion rate is remarkable – a 90.3% completion rate, third best in the sample – it is her ability to break lines with precision that makes her so sought after by top clubs.
Add to that his captain’s mentality and approachable personality and it’s no surprise that Girma will be a priority for any club looking to strengthen their defense ahead of the Champions League.
Meg’s Corner
Girm’s record transfer fee shouldn’t surprise anyone
We all knew that the million dollar mark for transfer fees in women’s football would be broken sooner or later – but it should also come as no surprise that it was Naomi Girma who set the record. She follows in the footsteps of defenders and leaders such as Carla Overbeck and Becky Sauerbrunn, while shaping the present and future of women’s football on the pitch with this transfer fee.
It is worth taking a moment to contextualize the $1.1 million figure within the current state of transfers across world football. Although FIFA is yet to publish its 2024 report, we can at least look at the mid-season report from last summer’s window.
- $6.4 billion spent on transfer fees in professional men’s soccer.
- $6.8 million spent on international transfers in women’s soccer. (I’d say “only”, but that’s more than double the 2023 mid-season spend. Progress!)
Girm’s transfer fee from Chelsea alone would be enough to account for 16% of this window’s total – and it’s reasonable to assume that international transfers will continue to grow exponentially with this new benchmark.
NWSL teams have been major players in this market, from Bay FC signing Kundananji to the Orlando Pride adding NWSL Championship MVP Barbra Banda, but it’s also beneficial for the NWSL that several European teams have been willing to spend a million on the American star.
🎧 Latest from the “Full Time” podcast: New Canadian women’s team coach Casey Stoney shares her vision for the team.
EM Dash, Geoff Burke/Imagn Images
Remarkable information
Transfers I like
This NWSL offseason marks a new era.
As of last Wednesday, teams can no longer trade players without their consent under the new CBA — negotiated and ratified by the league, players and clubs last year. Gone are transfer periods, rookie drafts and restricted free agency. Transfers can happen at any time before the roster freeze deadline in October.
Emerging American talent Jaedyn Shaw took full advantage of this rule, completing a move from the Wave to the North Carolina Courage last week – despite requesting to leave (specifically to North Carolina) over a year ago.
The rule changes led to a particularly active offseason that calls for a new edition of Jeff Rueter’s “Transfers I Love”:
- Shaw on Courage: Shaw clearly sees the role he can play in Sean Nahas’ team. With Ashley Sanchez, this duo could become a formidable creative machine, each capable of expressing their potential. He will be a welcome addition to a team that just lost former league MVP Karolin in free agency.
- Yazmeen Ryan to Houston Dash: Players with Ryan’s versatility and consistency are rare, and his enthusiasm for a new contract bodes well for the Dash’s long-awaited rebuild. I also like that Houston signed Delanie Sheehan in free agency, speeding up Ryan’s acclimatization thanks to their familiarity from their time in Gotham.
- Honorable Mention: Angel City has extended the contract of two-time world champion Christen Press by one year. At age 36, Press was Angel City’s first player on its first team in 2021. The team also recently hired former NWSL coach Mark Parsons as general manager.
Naeher gets another prize
We’re not ready to move on from Alyssa Naeher – even though she retired from international football in November.
On Saturday, U.S. Soccer named the former women’s national team goalkeeper its Player of the Year for 2024. It’s hard to argue with her many accolades during this successful year:
- Olympic gold medal
- Inaugural CONCACAF W Gold Cup Champion (after save AND got a penalty)
- SheBelieves Cup Winner
- Best FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year
The 36-year-old earned this latest accolade thanks to votes from national team coaches, players, US Soccer board members, the US Soccer Athletes Council, NWSL coaches, fans, as well as some members of the media and administrators.
Full-time first impressions
Farewell message: Former Arsenal and Bay FC defender Jen Beattie has announced her retirement. At 33, Beattie reflected on her career as she enters a new phase in life, discussing her World Cup goal at the Parc des Princes, her 2020 cancer diagnosis and the impact her heir father has had on his life.
Manchester in breakdown: Rivalry – at its best – features intense competition and a bit of chaos. Sunday’s Manchester derby in the WSL was no exception. United leapfrogged City into third place in the table with a 4-2 win. The two protagonists will meet again tomorrow in the League Cup. The only question is which side Chloe Kelly will be on as rumors swirl of a loan move to United.
Continue this way: Arsenal have opted for continuity amid the changes, hiring Renee Slegers as manager for the 2025-26 season. At 35, Slegers took over the role on an interim basis in October following the resignation of Jonas Eidevall. AthleticArt de Roche explains why Slegers’ determination makes him the perfect choice.
Stop and stop: Liverpool forward Olivia Smith has become a player that defenders feel the need to foul in order to stop her. So much so that coach Matt Beard officially asked the referees in the professional game to reconsider and protect the 20-year-old Canadian international from possible serious injury.
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(Top photo: Yukihito Taguchi/Imagn Images)
It’s fascinating to watch transfer fees in women’s football evolve and reflect the rise in value and popularity of the sport. Do you think this will affect the development of talent in the domestic leagues and how will it affect the upcoming international competitions?
