Sources: Interest Grows in Defender Naomi Girma, But No Update on Move Yet | OneFootball

The San Diego Wave has no update on whether star defender Naomi Girma could be on the move during the January transfer window, a source close to the club has told Sports Illustrated.

This offseason, the 24-year-old has been the subject of interest from top European clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea, and Olympique Lyonnais. The European transfer window opened on January 1st and will shut on January 30th, and it's expected the Wave will be bracing for offers.

On Tuesday, the Wave officially announced Jonas Eidevall as its new head coach. The Swede, who managed Arsenal from June 2021 until October 2024, becomes just the second-ever permanent head coach in San Diego's history.

Along with trying to keep Girma in California, Eidevall will be tasked with picking up the former NWSL Shield winners from an all-time low in 2024. The Wave finished last season 10th in the standings, and missed playoffs for the first time in their history. Amidst all this, club captain and USA legend Alex Morgan also retired from soccer in September.

While San Diego as a club regressed, Girma has not let her performances slip. Last season, the centerback was near her best marshaling attackers and making seemingly impossible tackles in the National Women's Soccer League. In 2024, she led the league in the percentage of dribblers tackled with 85% (17/20).

For the U.S. women's national team, Girma's influence as a player and as a leader is also increasing. The 24-year-old was instrumental in lifting the USA to a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In particular, her semifinal performance in the 1-0 win over Germany was a defensive masterclass for the ages. She has become the heartbeat of the national team.

In November 2024, after being snubbed in the Ballon D'Or nominations, USA head coach Emma Hayes called Girma "the best defender I've ever seen. Ever. I've never seen a player as good as her in the back."

The Wave will likely be seeking a transfer fee of $1m or more, which would make Girma the most expensive transfer in women's soccer history. Girma has two years left on her current contract with the Wave.

Unless San Diego signs Girma to a contract extension, the window to sell the player will shrink as she gets closer to free agency in the back half of 2026. Her price will be highest during this January window, or when the European window opens again in the summer.

It is unlikely that an NWSL club would pay the asking price for Girma, especially given the league's rules that require a salary cap tax if a team spends over a net $500,000 on transfer fees. However, having grown up in San Jose, CA, and attended Stanford University, the potential for a homecoming move to Bay FC will draw interest.

Behind Girma on the depth chart, San Diego has limited options at the centerback position. Kennedy Wesley impressed as a rookie and Kristen McNabb can fill in the center of defense when necessary. But if the USWNT star does leave Southern California, it will call for reinforcements at the position.

Off the pitch, San Diego and the NWSL are also being sued by six former employees who allege sexual harassment, racial discrimination, wrongful termination, and retalitation. Former club president Jill Ellis, who is mentioned in the cases, left her role at the end of the season to take up a new position as Chief Football Officer of FIFA.