Chelsea have agreed a world-record deal to sign United States defender Naomi Girma, according to reports.
The 24-year-old is set to move to the Women’s Super League champions from San Diego Wave for a reported £900,000, eclipsing the current record – paid by Bay FC in February 2024 for Racheal Kundanaji – by £215,000.
At 1.1million US dollars it will make Girma the first million-dollar transfer in the women’s game after the Blues fended off competition from French side Lyon.
She will become Sonia Bompastor’s first signing of the January transfer window and it comes after defender Kadeisha Buchanan was ruled out, likely for the rest of the season, with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The fee will almost treble the previous British record set when Chelsea signed striker Mayra Ramirez from Levante for £384,000 a year ago.
First coming to international attention during the 2023 World Cup, at which the US exited in the last 16, Girma played every minute of her country’s victorious Olympic campaign in Paris having been named US Soccer’s female player of the year.
Chelsea currently lead the WSL by seven points from Arsenal who they face at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
