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You’re an All-Star. Go get paid! Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan and Jeff Rueter — welcome to Full Time!
$1 Million Transfer
Chelsea finalizing deal for USWNT’s Naomi Girma
We have long known that U.S. women’s national team defender Naomi Girma is invaluable.
She has led the San Diego Wave and the U.S. in her stalwart center back role. She has an NCAA championship title, an NWSL Shield, two Defender of the Year awards and an Olympic gold medal.
USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has called her the “best defender” she’s seen. “Ever.”
And now Chelsea Women are putting down a record-breaking investment to bring Girma to their team: a $1.1 million transfer fee, as Meg reported earlier today. The Women’s Super League side has agreed to terms with San Diego, where Girma is under contract until 2026, but her new contract with Chelsea is not yet finalized.
Chelsea previously held the transfer record in 2024 when they signed Colombian striker Mayra Ramirez for more than half a million dollars from Levante in Liga F. That record stood for all of a couple of weeks before Bay FC nearly doubled the price tag, signing Racheal…