Naomi Girma Joins Chelsea For Million Dollar World Record Transfer Fee

United States women’s national team defender Naomi Girma has joined Women’s Super League champions Chelsea for a world record transfer fee of over $1 million.

The defender was unveiled at Stamford Bridge today ahead of Chelsea’s Women’s Super League match against Arsenal. Speaking to the Chelsea website, Girma said “I’m so happy and really excited to be here. It doesn’t feel real.”

“There are a lot of things about Chelsea that made me want to come here – the culture, the winning mentality, staff and players. It’s a top environment to learn and grow in. Right now, that’s what I’m looking to do. It was an easy choice for me.”

The transfer will put Girma down in history as the first-ever woman to move for a fee of over $1 million. The record transfer fee was previously the $862,000 paid by Bay FC to Madrid CFF for Zambian striker Rachael Kundananji in February 2024.

The move comes 57 years after the first $1 million transfer in the men’s game when Pietro Anastasi joined Juventus from Varese in 1968. Girma is also the first-ever player from the United States, either in the men’s or women’s game, to move for a world record transfer fee.

The 24-year-old Girma, who was contracted with San Diego Wave in the NWSL until the end of 2026, has agreed terms to sign a four and a half deal with Chelsea. She will wear the number 16 shirt previously worn by former club captain Magdalena Eriksson.

Upon leaving the NWSL, Girma admitted that “San Diego Wave has been such an important part of my journey. I’ll forever be thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to grow here and for the incredible relationships I’ve built with my teammates, the sporting staff, and our amazing fans.”

“I’m especially grateful to ownership and Cami for supporting my dream of playing in Europe. San Diego will always hold a special place in my heart, and I wish nothing but the best for the team moving forward.”

It is the second successive year in which the English champions have broken the world record for a transfer fee in the women’s game. On January 26, 2024, Chelsea paid Levante $544,000 for the services of Mayra Ramirez on a four and a half year deal. Twelve months they have paid almost double for Girma.

The world record transfer fee in women’s soccer has been paid almost exclusively for strikers, the one exception being the $470,000 paid by FC Barcelona for midfielder Keira Walsh in 2022. The same is true in the men’s game where the world record transfer fee has almost exclusively been paid for forward players.

It is over a century since the record was broken for a defensive player. In 1922, Sunderland paid £5,500 to South Shields for full back Warney Cresswell. It was a record which stood until December 1925. 100 years on Girma is the first-ever central defender in the men’s or women’s game to move for a world record sum.

In 2023, Girma also become the first defender to win the U.S. Soccer Women’s Player of the Year in four decades of the award. She was part of the United States defence which conceded just one goal at the Women’s World Cup. Last summer, she played every minute of the 2024 Olympic Games, helping the United States achieve three successive shutouts in the knockout stages as they won the Gold Medal.

In October, Girma scored the first-ever goals of her professional career, finding the net twice for the United States against Argentina in Louisiana. She is yet to score a single goal at club level in three years as a professional at San Diego Wave.

Chelsea’s Head of Women’s Football Paul Green said “Naomi is a world-class defender who is now coming into the prime years of her career. Her composure on the ball, ability to read the game coupled with her pace and athleticism will add top quality to an already very talented squad. Naomi has showcased her talent in the NWSL winning various individual awards and delivered on the international stage for the USA, including this summer winning a gold medal at the Olympics.”