Chelsea Women have confirmed the g of USWNT defender Naomi Girma, who has become the most expensive g in women's football historyafter the English club paid more than one million euros to San Diego Wave.
The 24-year-old arrives from San Diego Wave for $1.1 million -?1.05m-, suring the previous record of $862,000 -?821,265-paid by Bay FC in February 2024 for Zambian forward Racheal Kundananji.
Girma becomes the first million-dollar transfer in women's football, after the Blues beat French side Olympique Lyonnais to the g. "I'm very happy and excited to be here. It doesn't seem real. There are so many things about Chelsea that made me want to come here: the culture, the winning mentality, the staff and the players. It's a top environment to learn and grow," said Girma.
The American is Sonia Bompastor's first g of the winter transfer window and arrives after defender Kadeisha Buchanan was ruled out, likely for the rest of the season, with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Chelsea's head of women's football, Paul Green, stressed that Girma is "a world-class defender". "She is in the prime of her career.Naomi has showcased her talent in the NWSL, where she has won several individual awards, and has excelled on the international stage with the United States, where she won a gold medal at the Olympic Games this summer. There is no doubt that she is ready to take the next step in her career and we are delighted that it is with Chelsea," he said.
Girma first caught the eye during the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where the United States were eliminated in the round of 16, and played every minute of her country's victorious Olympic campaign in Paris, after being named US Soccer's Player of the Year.