Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images
Chelsea and Lyon are the two possible landing spots for United States women’s national team defender Naomi Girma, whose transfer could set a new global record in women’s soccer, multiple sources told The Equalizer.
Girma, who U.S. head coach Emma Hayes described as “the best defender I’ve ever seen” last summer, is currently under contract with San Diego Wave FC through 2026. She is widely considered the best centerback in the world and has drawn interest from top European clubs for some time.
ESPN was first to report that Girma could become the first women’s player in the world to fetch a $1 million transfer fee. The current world record was set last year, when the NWSL’s Bay FC paid a €735,000 transfer fee (about $788,000 at the time of the conversion) with $75,000 in possible performance add-ons.
Multiple sources told The Equalizer over the past two weeks that Chelsea is the expected landing spot for Girma, though one source cautioned that Lyon and Chelsea are both still in…
