USWNT’s Naomi Girma is transfer target of Chelsea, Lyon – Equalizer Soccer

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Chelsea and Lyon are the two possible landing spots for United States women’s national team defender Naomi Girma, whose transfer could set a new global record in women’s soccer, multiple sources told The Equalizer.

Girma, who U.S. head coach Emma Hayes described as “the best defender I’ve ever seen” last summer, is currently under contract with San Diego Wave FC through 2026. She is widely considered the best centerback in the world and has drawn interest from top European clubs for some time.

ESPN was first to report that Girma could become the first women’s player in the world to fetch a $1 million transfer fee. The current world record was set last year, when the NWSL’s Bay FC paid a €735,000 transfer fee (about $788,000 at the time of the conversion) with $75,000 in possible performance add-ons.

Multiple sources told The Equalizer over the past two weeks that Chelsea is the expected landing spot for Girma, though one source cautioned that Lyon and Chelsea are both still in the running. Lyon has also held significant interest in the American defender for some time. Arsenal also pursued Girma.

Former Arsenal coach Jonas Eidevall was recently hired by San Diego as head coach after a tumultuous season for the Wave, but multiple sources told The Equalizer that the mutual interest in a transfer abroad for Girma began well before the winter. U.S. teammate and fellow rising star Jaedyn Shaw just left the Wave in a trade that was also requested early in 2024.

England’s transfer window is open until Jan. 30. The NWSL’s primary transfer window opens on Jan. 28.

Girma burst onto the professional and international scene in 2022 as the No. 1 overall pick in the NWSL Draft. She was named Rookie of the Year and Defender of the Year in her first NWSL season, helping the Wave lead the NWSL table for half the season before becoming the first expansion team to qualify for the playoffs. She anchored the Wave to an NWSL Shield in 2023.

Her standout domestic play earned her a starting spot with the United States ahead of the 2023 World Cup, which she was a bright spot for a U.S. team that underperformed and was eliminated in the Round of 16.

Girma was a defensive force for the U.S. at the 2024 Olympics on the team’s run to a gold medal.