Chelsea to make history with transfer fee for USWNT player labelled 'best ever'

According to The Athletic, the defending WSL champions have beaten off interest from French giants Lyon to sign the highly coveted defender for a fee of $1.1m (£814,000).

The 24-year-old is now set to become the first female player to be signed for a fee worth more than $1 million.

While the deal is not yet completed, reports suggest it will be finalised in the coming days pending the approval of the paperwork.

Girma is widely recognised as one of the world's best young defenders with 44 international caps already to her name.

She was selected by the San Diego Wave as the first pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft, and has been with the team ever since, being part of the side that won the NWSL Shield in 2023.

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She was named US Soccer's female player of the year and went on to represent the USWNT at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The California native impressed on a global stage en route to winning a gold medal, with former Chelsea manager and current USWNT boss Emma Hayes labeling her as "the best defender I've ever seen".

"I've never seen a player as good as her at the back," Hayes added.

"She's got everything, poise, composure, she can defend, she anticipates, she leads. [She's] unbelievable."

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The two-time NWSL Defender of the Year has caught the attention of European giants for some time now, with Lyon, Arsenal, and Chelsea, all reportedly interested in acquiring her services.

Arsenal was not among the final contenders for Girma, according to reports, but Lyon were, tabling a world record $1 million offer of their own.

However, it appears Chelsea have won the race for the highly sought-after defender, who is under contract at the Wave until 2026.

Girma is the latest star player to leave the NWSL side, who are undergoing an overhaul under a new ownership group, general manager and coach.

Star striker Alex Morgan retired late last summer after announcing she was pregnant with her second child. The Wave then traded veterans Abby Dahlkemper, Taylor Flint and Christen Westphal and released veterans Emily van Egmond and Sofia Jakobsson.

As for Chelsea, they're said to be prepared to do what it takes to sign Girma, as they're in desperate need of a centre-back with Kadeisha Buchanan currently out with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Chelsea have won five straight titles, and are currently seven points clear at the top of the WSL ahead of Arsenal in second.

The West London club have become perennial contenders in both the WSL and Champions League in recent years, undoubtedly an attractive proposition for Girna.

The higher standard of football and substantially larger wages will also likely be a huge factor in the world-record transfer.