USA defender could be Chelsea’s missing piece in Champions League hunt

The women’s soccer transfer market appears to be about to take a new turn, with Chelsea reportedly close to a world-record move for USWNT defender Naomi Girma.

The 24-year-old would forever become the story of the January window after rumors emerged that clubs in Europe were prepared to fight for her signing. The San Diego Wave centre-back still has a few years left on her contract with the NWSL club, so it quickly became clear that interested clubs would have to make a world record offer to sign her.

Racheal Kundananji, currently at Bay FC, is currently the most expensive female footballer of all time following her £685,000 move from Madrid CFF last February. A report from The Athletic this week states that Chelsea have agreed a deal worth £900,000 to sign Girma this month, significantly and far exceeding the current record.

It’s no surprise that Chelsea are in the market for a centre-back this month after Canadian international Kadeisha Buchanan suffered a cruciate ligament injury earlier in the season. Sonia Bompastor currently relies on Nathalie Björn and Millie Bright as her two starting centre-backs, but greater depth was needed to compete on all four fronts.

However, signing a player of Girma’s caliber is a different story in itself. This is not just a player who has been signed to take the current squad forward, but someone capable of taking one of England’s most successful clubs to even greater heights.

Former Chelsea coach Emma Hayes’ words should be heeded, as Girma was one of the first players to praise her shortly after taking over at the USWNT last summer. “Look, her [Girma] is the best defender I’ve ever seen,” she told reporters during her Olympic campaign.

“I have never seen a player as good as her in defense. She has everything, poise, composure, she can defend, she anticipates, she leads.” [She’s] incredible.”

According to ESPN, Chelsea weren’t the only club pushing to sign her this month, with WSL rivals Arsenal also a long-time admirer. French giants Lyon, owned by businesswoman Michele Kang, were also closely linked but it is a testament to Chelsea’s grit and ambition that they have stormed forward in the race and are nearing the finish line.

During her college years, Girma played her football for the Stanford Cardinals and was then the first overall selection of the NWSL Draft in 2022. In her first season, she was named the league’s Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year, while also giving her Senior debut for the USWNT.

In 2023, she helped San Diego Wave to the NWSL title and was named Defender of the Year for the second consecutive year. The individual accolades speak for themselves, but her defensive presence was also a key driving force in the U.S.’s pursuit of Olympic gold last summer, playing every minute of the tournament under Hayes.

Chelsea already have one of the strongest defenses in the WSL alongside Arsenal and Manchester United and have conceded just six goals in their 11 games so far this season. What Girma has to offer will undoubtedly make her an even harder unit to break through, but Opta also records the defender having a pass rate of 91% and just under five progressive passes per 90 over the last 365 days, suggesting that She could be a real player He was also a huge advantage in Chelsea’s build-up play.

While an unprecedented sixth consecutive league title is one of Bompastor’s top goals in her debut season as Chelsea manager, there is no denying that the Champions League is high on everyone’s wish list.

The last and only English team to win the competition was Arsenal in 2007. Chelsea came painfully close in 2021 under Hayes when they were beaten by Barcelona in the final, and the wait continues to this day.

Although this will be Girma’s first taste of European football, there is no denying that her arrival represents a significant boost for Chelsea as they look to rewrite the history books once again this season.

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