The 10 most expensive WSL transfers of all time

23 Jun 2026 21:19 BST |
7 min read

Cameron Smith
|
Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

The Women’s Super League (WSL) is the female equivalent of the Premier League and it was established back in 2010, although the division didn’t actually begin until 2011.

Previously, the top flight of women’s football in England had been known as the FA Women’s Premier League National Division.

Unlike the 20 clubs that compete in the Premier League, there are only 12 professional clubs in the WSL, with one team relegated to the Championship each year, although the league will expand to 14 teams from the 2026-27 season onwards.

Another vast difference between the Premier League and the WSL is the finances involved.

While the top flight of the men’s game possesses some of the richest owners in world sport, the WSL operates on a far smaller budget, which means that wages and transfer fees are significantly lower than in the Premier League.

For example, the Premier League record transfer stands at €145 million, thanks to Alexander Isak’s move from Newcastle United to Liverpool in the summer of 2025.

By comparison, Grace Geyoro is the WSL’s most expensive signing after the London City Lionesses shelled out €1.65m to sign her from Paris Saint-Germain in 2025.

The 10 most expensive WSL transfers of all time

10. Keira Walsh – €500,000 (from Barcelona to Chelsea, 2025)

Lionesses star Keira Walsh was signed by Barcelona from Man City for a world-record fee in 2022, and she returned to England in January 2025 after a successful spell in Catalunya.

Chelsea acquired her for a figure between €500,000 and €550,000, with the final fee the subject of significant debate in the media. Bonuses can reportedly take her cost to just shy of €1m.

The Blues signed Walsh and several superstars to win the Champions League, but they failed to get over the line in both 2025 and 2026. In fact, the perennial WSL champions even surrendered their domestic crown in 2025/26 after being pipped to the title by Man City.

9. Oriane Jean-Francois – €519,000 (from Chelsea to Aston Villa, 2026)

France international Oriane Jean-Francois joined Chelsea in 2024, but she struggled to make an impact in West London and left after a disappointing spell in January 2026.

The former PSG midfielder joined Aston Villa for €519,000 and instantly became a starter for the struggling Birmingham club.

8. Ellie Carpenter – €562,000 (from Lyon to Chelsea, 2025)

In the summer of 2025, Chelsea and Lyon agreed one of the most significant swap deals in women’s football history, even if it was not officially billed as such.

Ashley Lawrence moved to Lyon, while Australia international Ellie Carpenter headed in the other direction the following day, completing a blockbuster move to Chelsea.

An attack-minded right-back, Carpenter had made her senior debut for the Matildas aged just 15 in 2016. By the time of her move to Chelsea, she had become one of the biggest stars in women’s football.

The fee it took to sign her was never officially disclosed, but it is believed that she cost around €562,000.

7. Niamh Charles – €580,000 (from Chelsea to Man City, 2026

The summer of 2026 started with a bang as Man City announced the signing of long-time Chelsea full-back Niamh Charles for a fee of €580,000.

During her six years in West London, the former Liverpool prospect had morphed from talented winger into a reliable utility player, mostly deployed at left-back.

A regular fixture in England squads, Charles won five WSL titles at Chelsea before she replaced Leila Ouahabi at reigning champions Man City.

6. Ellen Wangerheim – €700,000 (from Hammarby to Man Utd, 2026)

Man Utd snapped up talented Swedish forward Ellen Wangerheim off the back of a remarkable 2025 season for Hammarby.

Aged 21 at the time of her move, Wangerheim had netted 17 goals in the Damallsvenskan and a stunning 11 goals in six matches as Hammarby won the Swedish cup.

The Sweden international set Man Utd back €700,000 in January 2026.

5. Sam Coffey – €751,000 (from Portland Thorns to Man City, 2026)

Man City signed Portland Thorns captain Sam Coffey for a club-record €751,000 fee in January 2026 after she had impressed in the NWSL.

A regular for the US national team, the defensive midfielder became a starter for Man City towards the end of the 2025/26 season, helping the Cityzens win their second WSL title after dethroning perennial champions Chelsea.

4. Naomi Girma – €1.05m (from San Diego to Chelsea, 2025)

Naomi Girma broke the women’s transfer record when she joined Chelsea from the San Diego Wave in January 2025. The brilliant defender became the first woman in history to command a fee worth over €1m.

Girma had been starring in the NWSL and for the United States Women’s National Team for a couple of years when Chelsea shattered the world’s transfer record.

The American won her first Chelsea trophy less than two months after arriving when Chelsea beat Man City in the 2025 League Cup final in March, although she did not feature in the match.

3. Alyssa Thompson – €1.24m (from Angel City to Chelsea, 2025)

Forward Alyssa Thompson emerged as one of the most highly rated prospects in American women’s soccer in the early 2020s. In 2023, Los Angeles-based Angel City paid a league record fee to acquire the No.1 pick in the now-abolished NWSL draft to be able to select her.

Thompson had made her first-team debut for the USA during her senior year in high school as a 17-year-old, so it was no surprise that she eventually completed a major move to Europe.

In 2025, Chelsea paid an upfront fee believed to have been worth around €1.24m to sign her from Angel City. It is thought that bonuses can make her fee the largest ever paid for a women’s footballer.

2. Olivia Smith – €1.27m (from Liverpool to Arsenal, 2025)

— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) July 17, 2025

Canada international Olivia Smith was signed by Liverpool from Sporting CP in 2024 and, just a year later, she was on the move again, joining Arsenal in a then-world record deal worth €1.27m.

The first woman to score at Anfield, Smith was named PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year in her sole season on Merseyside, which prompted Arsenal to spend big on the attacker.

Although 2025/26 proved a disappointing season for the Gunners, Smith scored as they won the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup.

1. Grace Geyoro – €1.65m (from PSG to London City Lionesses, 2025)

Newly-promoted London City Lionesses made a splash in the 2025 summer transfer window with several headline-grabbing signings, most notably securing the signing of PSG superstar Grace Geyoro.

A last-minute deal on Deadline Day, Geyoro’s arrival was the subject of lots of media speculation because her official fee was not disclosed. Reports suggested that it was a world-record sum of €1.65m, but London City went on the record to dismiss this claim.

However, FIFA’s annual transfer report later listed Geyoro’s signing as the biggest deal of 2025, meaning that it must have been the biggest women’s transfer ever given that the record had previously been broken several times that year.

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Cameron Smith is a Digital Content Producer for FootballTransfers, having joined the team upon its inception in November 2020.

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