Chelsea break $1m barrier to sign USA defender Girma in world-record deal
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The United States defender Naomi Girma is set to have a medical at Chelsea later this week after agreeing personal terms to transfer to the English club from San Diego Wave for a world-record fee. Chelsea will pay San Diego Wave $1.1m (£890,000), making the deal the first women’s football transfer fee to exceed a million US dollars.
The Guardian understands that Chelsea have agreed a long-term contract with Girma and she is now set to travel to London for a medical with Sonia Bompastor’s side, who are seven points clear at the top of the Women’s Super League table at the halfway stage in the season.
The transfer fee comfortably surpasses the fee paid by American club Bay FC to sign the Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji from Madrid CFF for around $860,000 in February 2024. The 24-year-old centre-back was also a key transfer target for the French club Lyon, who reportedly made a $1m bid, but it is understood that Chelsea has been Girma’s preferred destination. The move will see her link up with fellow USA internationals Catarina Macario and Mia Fishel.
Girma has been with San Diego Wave since 2022 and was under contract with the NWSL side until 2026. She has 44 senior international caps for the USA and has scored twice for her country, since making her senior debut in 2022. In 2023 she was named as US Soccer’s women’s player of the year.
