USWNT’s Naomi Girma won’t be a Gunner – terms agreed with Chelsea Women for record $1.1M!

Just Arsenal News

·24 January 2025

USWNT’s Naomi Girma won’t be a Gunner – terms agreed with Chelsea Women for record $1.1M!

The January 2025 transfer window has been marked by a historic move in women’s football. Chelsea Women have agreed to sign USA defender Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave for a world-record fee of approximately £900,000 ($1.1M). This transfer shatters the previous record and establishes Girma as the most expensive female footballer in history.

Arsenal Women’s connection with Naomi Girma goes back to August 2024, when Jonas Eidevall said of Girma “I think she’s astonishing, a world class talent.”

OneFootball Videos

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 💸
– Tuesday, 21 January 2025

Girma’s achievements are impressive, including winning Olympic gold with the USA in Paris last summer, where she played every minute of the tournament. She also made history in 2024 by becoming the first defender to win the US Women’s Player of the Year award.

Naomi Girma San Diego Wave

Her move to The Blues, from NWSL club San Diego Wave, comes at a time when Arsenal’s biggest London rivals are leading the Women’s Super League, 7 points ahead of our Gunners who are 2nd in the WSL, and Chelsea have progressed to the knockout stages of the Women’s Champions League – as did our Gunners, who also qualified at the top of their Women’s Champions League Group.

At just 24 years old, Girma is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the world. Her exceptional skills and leadership qualities have earned her high praise indeed, with former Chelsea manager and current USWNT head coach Emma Hayes describing her as “the best defender I have ever seen”

We wrote an article 7 days ago asking If Arsenal Women ever wanted Naomi Girma, their mission must be too sign her now, before Chelsea do.. but we are now too late. Maybe Arsenal’s pockets weren’t deep enough? Or maybe Renee Slegers was quite right when she said “we’re very happy with the players that we have.”?

What are your thoughts on this Gooners?

Michelle M

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