As the Women’s Super League transfer window concluded on Thursday, reports surfaced suggesting the league’s newest team had shattered the global transfer record for female soccer players.
London City Lionesses, recently elevated, have reportedly secured several high-profile acquisitions as they gear up for their inaugural season in the premier division under the guidance of their coach, Jocelyn Precheur.
Notable additions to the squad include England’s Nikita Parris, the Netherlands’ Danielle van de Donk, and Spain’s Jana Fernandez, joining Sweden’s Kosovare Asllani, who has over 200 international appearances.
What Defines the Current Women’s Transfer Record?
The Lionesses, who call Bromley’s Hayes Lane their home ground, reportedly invested £433,000 to secure the services of Spanish forward Lucia Corrales earlier in the day.
However, they reserved the most significant move for the final moments, emerging as the third team in recent months to surpass the world transfer record.
According to Tom Garry and Suzanne Wrack from The Guardian, “This follows Olivia Smith’s £1m switch from Liverpool to Arsenal earlier in July – the first deal exceeding £1m – and Lizbeth Ovalle’s $1.5m (£1.1m) move to the American side Orlando Pride from the Mexican club Tigres.”
The London-based team reportedly paid a record-breaking £1.43m to secure Grace Geyoro, the French midfielder, from Paris Saint-Germain.
Geyoro, aged 28, is highly regarded in women’s soccer. She has dedicated over a decade to PSG and has earned over 100 caps representing France.
The financial power driving the Lionesses’ promotion and recent spending spree comes from Michele Kang, who also serves as the president of Lyon and the majority owner of their renowned women’s team, in addition to holding a majority stake in Washington Spirit in the NWSL.
The Guardian reports that London City have refuted claims of paying a world-record fee for Geyoro, with a club representative stating that the widely reported sum on Friday was inaccurate.
Garry and Wrack note that Manchester United’s manager, Marc Skinner, addressed the transfer ahead of the upcoming WSL season this weekend.
“In all honesty, the transfer window has become quite frantic, hasn’t it?” remarked Skinner. “The window and overall market dynamics have shifted dramatically. Who would have anticipated seeing four players valued at £1m or more in this window? I suspect we [United] won’t be able to compete at those financial levels.”
Skinner cautioned that the spotlight would be on the promoted team to demonstrate their capabilities. London City are set to inaugurate their WSL campaign stylishly on Saturday, facing the reigning European champions, Arsenal, at the Emirates Stadium, in a match broadcast live on the BBC.
