The Women’s Super League returned to action in mid-January 2025 for the season's second half, a half that will only get more exciting considering the close battles for the title race, Champions League qualifications, and escaping relegation.
Chelsea are leading the title charge as of matchweek 13, with a comfortable lead of 7 points over 2nd place Manchester United, as well as a 10 point gap over 3rd place Arsenal. If it stays as is, these three will get to fight it out in the Champions League next season. However, with 9 matchweeks still to go and the calibre of the most competitive WSL teams, there’s no room for complacency at the top. Only 12 points separate the top 4 teams, and each are more than capable of fighting a ruthless battle for pole position.
That is far from all that will ensure this leg of the season is a crucial, exciting journey to follow. The WSL had an incredibly active, dramatic, and ground-breaking transfer window, brokering a total of 51 new deals. These consisted of transfers to new clubs, either through loans or permanent transfers, contract extensions, academy signings, and loan-to-permanent contracts.
While all 12 clubs engaged in business this transfer window, the busiest by far were Chelsea, with 7 deals brokered, Manchester United with 5, and Arsenal with 4 transfers and 2 academy signings. For the most part, the WSL transfer window was a study in cooperation with a steady flow of players between WSL teams, Championship players moving up and vice versa, and a strengthening of the relationship between the WSL and US National Women’s Soccer League.
However, not all transfers sang of cooperation and camaraderie; most notably, the drama-infused deadline day transfer of iconic lioness Chloe Kelly from Manchester City to Arsenal on loan. Before the deadline-day transfer, Kelly had struggled for minutes at City, often warming the bench to the surprise and discontent of many fans. When she got some game time and an assist in City’s 4-0 win over Ipswich in mid-January, there was a surge of false hope that she’d earned a spot in the starting 11 for the next few games, but it swiftly died down when City signed Brazilian winger Kerolin for the same position. City turned down numerous offers from United and Brighton, despite Kelly expressing her desire to sign for United, even at the cost of her salary, which was not covered in United’s initial offers.
Fortunately, just when the Lioness took to social media to express her resignation that she was stuck at City, Arsenal swooped in with an offer City’s business-minded executives could not turn their noses up at. Kelly has returned to her Londoner roots and childhood club and now awaits her debut in red once more.
In less dramatic but certainly headline-worthy news, Chelsea completed two mega signings. Firstly, Keira Walsh from a highly successful spell at Barcelona, where she won two Champions League titles, two Liga Fs, and a Copa de la Reina, following a then-recording breaking fee of £400,000.
The England international’s transfer was considerably smoother, with both parties keen on the deal. Walsh expressed “I just got such a good feeling from them…I want to play for this club and fight for the badge” after speaking to Paul Green, Sonia Bompastor, and Camille Abily – managing staff at Chelsea. Green believes Walsh will be “crucial to [their] game model” remarking that she is “a composed defensive midfielder, with excellent technical attributes and world-class football intelligence”.
Lastly, easily the biggest deal of the season and the WSL to date is Chelsea’s signing of 24-year-old Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave for £890,000, the first million-dollar signing in Women’s football. Head coach of the USWNT, Emma Hayes, stated “She’s the best defender I’ve ever seen” and in 2023, she was voted league rookie of the year and defender of the year. It follows that there was no shortage of suitors for Girma, with Arsenal, Lyon, and Chelsea the most attractive prospects. However, following Chelsea centre-back Buchanan’s ACL injury, Girma became a primary target and Chelsea’s aggressiveness in the transfer market meant they were the ones to seal the deal.
All in all, it’s been a thrilling transfer window for the WSL and the league promises more to look forward to.