After three seasons with the San Diego Wave, Naomi Girma is crossing the pond. The Wave have traded the middle again and USWNT staple to Chelsea Ladies, .
Girma, among the finest middle backs on this planet, will head to Chelsea in trade for a file $1.1 million switch charge. Chelsea, Arsenal and Lyon had all reportedly proven curiosity in buying the 24-year-old defender, per ; in the long run, Chelsea gained out.
The charge is the best in ladies’s soccer historical past, and marks the primary time {that a} switch has damaged the $1 million mark. Girma’s switch smashes the earlier file set final offseason, with Bay FC Zambian ahead Racheal Kundananji from Madrid CFF for $860,000.
Girma will now be a part of USWNT teammates Mia Fishel and Catarina Macario at Chelsea, which at present sits on the high of the Ladies’s Tremendous League. Chelsea is chasing its straight sixth league title this season underneath supervisor Sonia Bompastor, who changed present USWNT coach Emma Hayes.
The Wave, in its first season, chosen Girma because the No. 1 general choose of the 2022 draft out of Stanford. In three seasons, the defender helped lead the workforce to the 2023 NWSL Defend and the 2024 NWSL Problem Cup. Girma is a well-decorated, sensible again line anchor who can’t solely anticipate opponents’ strikes however can be key to creating offensive possibilities within the run of play.
Girma departs San Diego whereas the workforce is in the course of a fairly important rebuild. The Wave as head coach earlier this month, turning the web page . However the workforce will probably be lacking a few of its largest faces subsequent season, with and younger ahead Jaedyn Shaw .
Maybe in anticipation of Girma leaving, the Wave 17-year-old defender Trinity Armstrong — one other younger, gifted defender — to a three-year contract on Jan. 16. Armstrong gained an NCAA nationwide championship in a standout freshman season on the College of North Carolina, and is one in all 5 nominees for U.S. Soccer’s 2024 Younger Participant of the 12 months award. She may not be Girma, however Armstrong will probably be a powerful addition to the San Diego again line because the workforce rebuilds.