From Rumours to Reality: Chelsea Women’s Most Talked-About Transfers of 2025

Image: Chelsea's captain Millie Bright. Credit: Charlie Burrell for Constancy Football

Until last week Chelsea had made no official signings that the public were aware of. Fast forward to today, Chelsea have the most expensive player in the world, the under 20’s World Cup Golden Glove winner and the player of the match in the 2022 Euros final. But who are they and what does this mean for Chelsea’s future?

Chelsea currently sit 7 points clear at the top of the Women’s Super League and are yet to lose a game under manager Sonia Bompastor, with the team winning every match in the Women’s Champions League group stage, leaving them top of the table with the maximum £880,000 prize money.

Prior to kick-off versus Arsenal, Chelsea announced the signing of United States international Naomi Girma on a four and a half year deal. The centre back arrived at the club for a fee of $1.1 million (around £887,000), making her the world's most expensive female footballer.

With the absence of Kadeisha Buchanan through injury, Chelsea found themselves relying on Nathalie Björn and Millie Bright to survive through the season without injury so with the appointment of Girma, the back line is able to rotate and rest during the “business” half of the season giving them the best chance against tough opposition in triple game weeks. Prior to this, Chelsea found themselves playing German midfielder Sjoeke Nusken in the defensive role, thus weakening their midfield.

The signing of Dutch goalkeeper Femke Liefting gives fellow teammates Zecira Musovic and Katie Cox a chance to go on loan or leave in the summer without the club having a repeat of the beginning of the 2023/24 season where they ended up with 5 goalkeepers at the club as a safety net. Zecira Musovic’s contract is also up come June 30th so the club is safe should she want to leave. 

Liefting, who signed a 3 and a half year deal with the blues, is unable to be part of the teams UEFA Women’s Champions League squad as each team is only able to add 3 players in the January window and a goalkeeper is not deemed a priority by the club considering the depth in the current squad.

The transfer window closed with the surprise signature of Keira Walsh, an English defensive midfielder who had spent eight years at WSL rivals Manchester City before moving to FC Barcelona for a record-breaking deal. The English Woman looked set to sign for Arsenal upon the expiration of her contract this summer however in a shock turn of events on Wednesday it became apparent that she would be leaving Barcelona in favour of playing for Chelsea.

The WSL champions played the first half of the season with a sparse variety in the midfield due to the season ending injury to Sophie Ingle in pre season and a lack of time to find a replacement. However, the addition of Walsh on a four and a half year deal is set to bolster Bompastors midfield options, giving the squad a reliable number 6 for the upcoming matches.

Walsh will take a second spot in the UEFA Women’s Champions League Squad with the 3rd spot likely going to the Australian striker Sam Kerr, who has been out of action since January 2024 after she tore her ACL in the squads warm weather training camp in Morocco.

After spending over 1.3 million on the three transfers this January, the squads depth is stronger than ever but with these additions, players had to leave to make space for them. This saw French right back, Ève Périsset make the transfer to Strasbourg in favour of more playing time ahead of the UEFA Women’s Euros this summer as well as Spanish duo, Júlia Bartel and Alejandra Bernabé seek loan spells to WSL side, Liverpool FC.

Chelsea's recent signings mark a pivotal moment for the club as they bolster their squad with top-tier talent. The acquisition of Naomi Girma not only strengthens the defense but also sets a new benchmark in women's football, highlighting Chelsea's ambition and commitment to excellence. The addition of Femke Liefting further solidifies their goalkeeping options, allowing for strategic depth as the season progresses. As Chelsea aims for silverware in multiple competitions, these moves reflect a dynamic approach to building a competitive and resilient squad, ensuring they remain a dominant force in women's football for years to come.