Chelsea are set to sign USA defender Naomi Girma in will be a record fee in women’s football.
The transfer fee, reported to be approximately £900,000 ($1.1 million), is expected to set a new benchmark, surpassing the £685,000 Bay FC paid for Zambia’s Racheal Kundananji in February 2024.
Chelsea faced stiff competition from French powerhouse Lyon for the highly sought-after defender, who is widely considered one of the best players in the world.
Girma is poised to leave San Diego Wave – now coached by former Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall – and join Chelsea’s squad under manager Sonia Bompastor.
Chelsea currently lead the Women’s Super League (WSL) by seven points over Arsenal and have secured a spot in the knockout stages of the Women’s Champions League.
Girma’s arrival will also add to Chelsea’s history of record-breaking signings, following their acquisition of Levante striker Mayra Ramirez in January 2023 for a then-British record fee of £384,000, with an additional £42,600 in potential add-ons.
Naomi Girma is headed to Chelsea from the San Diego Wave for a $1.1M transfer fee, per @itsmeglinehan
She becomes the 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 woman with a transfer fee of over $1M 💸 pic.twitter.com/EPmBgD0TqS
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 21, 2025
Girma’s ascent in football has been a fascinating watch. Selected as the first pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft by San Diego Wave, she quickly made her mark, earning both the Defender of the Year and Rookie of the Year honours in her debut season.
In 2023, she played a pivotal role in helping the Wave claim the NWSL Shield under the guidance of former Manchester United manager Casey Stoney.
On the international stage, Girma has been a vital memeber of the USA national team. She stood out during the 2023 Women’s World Cup, even as the team suffered an early exit in the round of 16.
She went on to claim the US Soccer Female Player of the Year award and played every minute of the USA’s triumphant run to Olympic gold in 2024.
