United States women’s national team defender Naomi Girma is the first million-dollar transfer in women’s soccer history. San Diego Wave FC and Chelsea FC announced their deal on Sunday as Girma becomes part of the London giants, taking his skills overseas.
This is the most expensive transfer fee we’ve seen, and it’s not uncommon for Chelsea FC, with the English team making headlines and setting records for players in the transfer market . Danish forward Pernille Harder ($355,000) was signed in 2020, and Colombian forward Mayra Ramirez ($542,000) signed with the club last year. Harder is now at Bayern Munich and Ramirez recently won the EFE Latin American Player of 2024.
Girma was introduced to Chelsea fans on Sunday ahead of the Blues’ match against Arsenal. She sported a new Chelsea jersey bearing the number 16, joining the club where U.S. women’s national team manager Emma Hayes worked for more than a decade before accepting the U.S. job .
“I’m so happy and really excited to be here. It doesn’t seem real,” Girma said in a club statement. “There are a lot of things at Chelsea that made me want to come here: the culture, the winning mentality, the staff and the players. It’s a great environment to learn and grow. Right now, it’s is what I’m looking to do. It was an easy choice for me.”
She was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft by San Diego and, during her time with the Wave, won NWSL Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year, won the Shield of the 2023 NWSL and made two appearances in the playoffs. The center back joins Chelsea fresh from a 2024 Olympic gold medal where she played every minute of the tournament and led a US defense that conceded just two goals in six matches to secure the gold medal. In 2023, she was named US Soccer Player of the Year.
Girma’s new contract with Chelsea runs until 2029.
