Chelsea made Naomi Girma, 24, the first player worth US$1 million after signing the American defender to a long-term contract worth around £900,000 (equivalent to US$1.12 million or R$6, 6 million), according to British media.
The Women’s Super League (WSL) club, the main women’s football league in England, announced the signing this Sunday (26), presenting Girma to the 34,302 people present at Stamford Bridge, in London, before the game against Arsenal. The home team won the match 1-0.
The value of the defender’s transfer exceeds the 685 thousand pounds (around R$3.9 million at the time) paid by Bay FC, a team from the American league, the NWSL, to acquire Zambian Racheal Kundananji in February 2024.
Girma comes from the San Diego Wave, another team in the United States, where he had a contract until 2026, which is why Chelsea had to pay the transfer fee.
“There are many things about Chelsea that made me want to come here — the culture, the winning mentality, the team and the players. It’s a top environment to learn and grow,” Girma said in a statement issued by the club.
The 24-year-old athlete is considered one of the best defenders in the world, having played every minute of the Paris 2024 Olympic tournament, in which the Americans won gold after defeating Brazil in the final, 1-0.
French coach Sonia Bompastor’s first signing for Chelsea this year, Girma will help reinforce the team’s defensive line, which in November lost defender Kadeisha Buchanan due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
Current champion of the national league, Girma’s new club is leader of the WSL with a nine-point advantage over Manchester City, who is in second place. The next match will be away from home, against Aston Villa, on February 2nd.
In 2022, the San Diego Wave selected Girma as the first pick in the NWSL draft (a process in which the league’s franchises call up college players to make up their rosters). She ended up winning the league’s best defender and rookie of the year awards.
In the following season, the American was again named the tournament’s best defender and even led the team to the NWSL Shield award, which honors the team with the best campaign during the regular season.
