When a powerhouse team like Lyon, or even Chelsea, puts a $1 million offer on the table for San Diego Wave defender Naomi Girma, that is most definitely a surefire way to tell the women's game has reached an entirely new level in the transfer market. If completed, the transfer would set a new world record, bettering the $860,000 paid by Bay FC for Racheal Kundananji. But why is Girma so valuable, and what does that mean for the landscape of women's soccer? Let's break it down.
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Naomi Girma's weight in soccer
At an tender age of 24 years, Naomi Girma has achieved what many players strive to do in an entire career. A two-time winner of the NWSL Defender of the Year, she stood out in the 2023 Women's World Cup and featured prominently in the USWNT's gold medal win at Paris 2024. The sustained excellence at this level has made her one of the best defenders in the world, which is precisely why the likes of Lyon, Chelsea, and Arsenal all want her.
Emma Hayes, USWNT coach, summarized Girma’s impact perfectly: “The best defender I’ve ever seen. Ever.” For a defender to achieve such recognition is rare, especially in a sport where forwards often steal the spotlight.
A game-changing transfer
Interest from European giants like Chelsea and Arsenal, according to ESPN, Lyon's $1 million bid is not about Girma, it's about the growth of women's soccer and its capability to command big money. It would set a new bar on how players are valued-an indicator that the market is finally ready to appreciate the quality and influence of female athletes on and off the pitch.
It means that women's soccer is on the rise globally in terms of audience, sponsorships, and investments. The growing interest of major European clubs in NWSL talent shows that the American league has become a nursery of top talent. Girma was the perfect embodiment of this trend.
Challenges for the San Diego Wave
A team like Naomi Girma can ill afford such a loss after the recent changes within the roster and management, and this was already hinted at by the move of Jaedyn Shaw to North Carolina Courage. This now puts new head coach Jonas Eidevall in a predicament as he balances his ambition of keeping his talents while weighing in on the financial opportunities such a high-value transfer would bring.
A sale by Girma would also free up financial and strategic resources for the club, possibly opening up avenues of investment in reinforcements. But replacing someone of the quality and leadership of Girma won't be easy; she's a cornerstone for her team and the league.
The global impact of a record transfer
The consequences will be far-reaching if the deal is sealed by Lyon or some other European club: a $1 million transfer record in women's soccer would make history by underlining the increasing value of female athletes and professionalization in full bloom. This is a deal that might prove to be a turning point in a world where pay and investment disparities between genders remain huge.
The potential transfer also raises questions about how the NWSL will continue to compete with European clubs, who have larger budgets and offer greater international visibility. But this isn't all bad. Players like Girma, performing on major European stages, raise the global interest in women's soccer.
Chelsea leading the race?
Chelsea has been front runners for Girma's signature, and the need for reinforcements in the back due to the loss of Kadeisha Buchanan to an ACL will have the Blues desperate, while adding Girma wouldn't just plug that hole but make the backline of the team one of the best in the world.
Meanwhile, do not underestimate Lyon, with the businesswoman Michele Kang, owner of the Washington Spirit of the NWSL, at its helm. The French club does have a habit of enticing talent in the sport, with that substantial financial offer showing it'll fight to the wire.