WSL transfer window: Rate every club's business in January
2025-01-31
Category: sports

The Women's Super League's January transfer window has closed - so who do you think did the best business?Chelsea made the statement acquisition of Naomi Girma for a new women's world record fee â while there was late drama as Chloe Kelly's immediate future was decided with her joining Arsenal on loan from Manchester City.A deal was agreed for Keira Walsh to join Chelsea from Barcelona, but the signing is yet to be announced.BBC Sport assesses all the moves made by the 12 WSL clubs this summer - plus have your say on all the ins and outs.
Arsenal
InsJenna Nighswonger (Defender, from Gotham FC)Chloe Kelly (Forward, on loan from Manchester City).OutsKathrine Kuhl (Midfielder, to Roma)Laura Wienroither (Defender, to Manchester City on loan)Vivienne Lia (Forward, to Southampton on loan)Madison Earl (Midfielder, to Sheffield United on loan)Freya Godfrey (Midfielder, to London City Lionesses on loan)Laila Herbert (Midfielder, to Southampton on loan)Arsenal left their recruitment until the last minute, but made two big signings before the window closed by bringing in United States defender Jenna Nighswonger on a permanent deal and England winger Chloe Kelly on loan.Katie McCabe is currently the club's main left-back, with Steph Catley tending to be used in the middle instead, so Nighswonger adds another high-quality option for Renee Slegers' side.Kelly has fallen firmly out of favour at Manchester City, and will be hoping a move to Arsenal â where her career began â will get her back on track in time for this summer's European Championships.The questionable element of the signing is where Kelly will fit into Slegers' team. Arsenal are strong in attack and have ample options, so playing minutes will not be a given for the Gunners, either.
Aston Villa
InsKatelin Talbert (Goalkeeper, on loan from West Ham)OutsAnna Leat (Goalkeeper, free agent)Kenza Dali (Midfielder, to San Diego Wave)Freya Gregory (Forward, to Newcastle)Georgia Mullett (Forward, to Southampton on loan)Sophia Poor (Goalkeeper, to London City Lionesses on loan)Aston Villa's biggest arrival in January came when they appointed manager Natalia Arroyo to fill the vacancy left by Robert de Pauw's departure.Midfielder Kenza Dali will be a big miss after her move to San Diego Wave in the United States, but they have found a way to fill the gap left when Anna Leat departed by mutual consent, with Katelin Talbert taking the goalkeeper's place, joining on loan from West Ham.Villa seem relatively safe in the league, sitting five points above the drop. Their inaction in the window won't help them push higher in the table but it shouldn't make much difference.
Brighton
InsCaitlin Hayes (Defender, from Celtic)Nadine Noordam (Midfielder, from Ajax)OutsComfort Erhabor (Goalkeeeper, to Portsmouth on loan)The Seagulls have played well under Dario Vidosic in the Women's Super League and are currently fifth in the league.They had a very busy summer window, bringing in the likes of Nikita Parris, Jelena Cankovic and Fran Kirby, so they did not need to do much in January.Republic of Ireland centre-back Caitlin Hayes lacks WSL experience but has played well in Scotland and will look to prove herself at Brighton. Nadine Noordam provides another creative outlet in midfield to bolster Brighton's options going forward.
Chelsea
InsNaomi Girma (Defender, from San Diego Wave)Femke Liefting (Goalkeeper, from AZ Alkmaar)OutsCharlotte Wardlaw (Defender, to Newcastle)Louna Ribadeira (Forward, to Everton on loan)Julia Bartel (Midfielder, to Liverpool on loan)Greta Humphries (Defender, to Charlton Athletic on loan)Aimee Claypole (Forward, to Durham on loan)Lucy Watson (Forward, to Ipswich on loan)Aniek Nouwen (Defender, to Crystal Palace on loan)This has been a statement transfer window from a Chelsea side who are in the midst of a statement season.Any worries about potential lapses with Sonia Bompastor taking over as manager from Emma Hayes have been firmly despatched: they are still unbeaten in the league after 12 matches.Despite already boasting a stellar squad, they've made huge moves â breaking the transfer record to sign the United States defender Naomi Girma was the ultimate sign of intent.Chelsea don't want anybody knocking them off their perch in the WSL any time soon and they have the Champions League in their sights.
Crystal Palace
InsClarissa Larisey (Forward, from Hacken)Ria Oling (Midfielder, from Rosengard)Allyson Swaby (Defender, from AC Milan)Lily Woodham (Defender, loan extended from Seattle Reign)Aniek Nowen (Defender, on loan from Chelsea)OutsNoneCrystal Palace needed to act in January to do whatever they can to push themselves up from the bottom of the WSL and avoid relegation.They are still four points adrift, but they have made some good signings. Clarissa Larisey and Ria Oling both bring significant experience from Sweden's top flight and for their respective international sides.Bringing in Jamaica defender Alysson Swaby on deadline day should help to bolster their defence, which could be crucial in their mission to avoid dropping points.Only time will to tell as to whether they've done enough to stay up, but their recruitment should help. Extending Wales defender Lily Woodham's loan from Seattle Reign was also important for keeping their side intact.
Everton
InsHayley Ladd (Midfielder, from Manchester United)Kelly Gago (Forward, from Nantes)Martina Fernandez (Defender, on loan from Barcelona)Louna Ribadeira (Forward, on loan from Chelsea)Emma Watson (Midfielder, on loan from Manchester United)OutsRylee Foster (Goalkeeper, free agent)Emma Bissell (Midfielder, to Charlton Athletic)Izzy Hobson (Defender, to Sheffield United on loan)Ellie Jones (Forward, to Sheffield United on loan)Macy Settle (Midfielder, to Blackburn Rovers on loan)Everton have been busy in January. When loans are included, they have brought in more players than any other WSL side.Their signings have been of a good quality, too. Nantes forward Kelly Gago and Manchester United midfielder Hayley Ladd joined on permanent deals, with both performing well for Brian Sorensen's side since their arrival.However, the big question for Sorensen has been addressing Everton's lack of goals and that has not yet come into fruition. Chelsea forward Louna Ribadeira arriving on loan should help when combined with Gago, but the problem needs to be sorted quickly.
Leicester
InsOlivia Clark (Goalkeeper, from FC Twente)Hlin Eiriksdottir (Forward, from Kristianstads)OutsLize Kop (Goalkeeper, to Tottenham)Emilia Pelgander (Midfielder, to Rosengard on loan)Hlin Eiriksdottir's arrival on transfer deadline day should be a big boost for Leicester and help to allay the woes inflicted by injuries to attacking players.Jutta Rantala and Lena Petermann â the club's two top scorers last season â are both currently sidelined, as is French striker Noemie Mouchon after repturing her ACL in October. Eiriksdottir may be able to fill the void left in Leicester's front line.Olivia Clark, meanwhile, is a decent signing, but she will have to battle with the excellent Janina Leitzig for the number-one spot.Manager Amandine Miquel often rotated between Leitzig and Lize Kop, who departed for Tottenham, so Clark may fill the same role.
Liverpool
InsJulia Bartel (Midfielder, on loan from Chelsea)Sam Kerr (Midfielder, on loan from Bayern Munich)OutsNoneLiverpool have not made any permanent signings in January. That comes after a quiet summer where they brought in just three players.Boss Matt Beard does have a solid squad, though, and he has looked to the loan market to bring in two additions this time round.Scotland midfielder Sam Kerr has played at a high level with Bayern Munich, winning the Frauen-Bundesliga in 2023-24, while 20-year-old Julia Bartel is a promising talent who has not been able to get into Chelsea's team since joining them from Barcelona.Liverpool fans may have hoped for a busier January, but it isn't a bad window by any means.
Manchester City
InsRebecca Knaak (Defender, from Rosengard)Aemu Oyama (Midfielder, free agent)Kerolin (Forward, from North Carolina Courage)Laura Wienroither (Defender, on loan from Arsenal)OutsSandy MacIver (Goalkeeper, to Washington Spirit)Alanna Kennedy (Defender, to Angel City)Chloe Kelly (Forward, to Arsenal on loan)Poppy Pritchard (Forward, to Newcastle United on loan)Gareth Taylor has made some good signings in January, but Manchester City may have lacked the big move they needed to find a way to get back into the title race.Brazil forward Kerolin won an Olympic silver medal and has impressed in the National Women's Soccer League, but it feels like more may be required to catch up with Chelsea.Rebecca Knaak is a good defender whose main role will be to fill in for England's Alex Greenwood, who is currently out after having knee surgery in December. Aemu Oyama, meanwhile, is a talent for the future.Alanna Kennedy departing for Angel City is a blow to their depth at centre-back and means they lose a key part of their defensive line, although Sandy MacIver leaving is less of an issue given her lack of minutes.Kelly's departure on loan is a boost for Arsenal, but she is so much out of favour at City that its main consequence is providing the forward with a fresh start rather than making any difference to Taylor's side.
Manchester United
InsKayla Rendell (Goalkeeper, from Southampton)OutsHayley Ladd (Midfielder, to Everton)Emma Watson (Midfielder, to Everton on loan)Jess Simpson (Defender, to Bristol City on loan)Manchester United have been looking for another goalkeeper since Mary Earps left for Paris St-Germain last summer and Kayla Rendell joins Phallon Tullis-Joyce and 20-year-old Safia Middleton-Patel in the battle for the starting role.Tullis-Joyce has cemented herself in United's starting line-up, so Rendell will need to fight if she is to take the number-one spot.In terms of departures, Hayley Ladd was once an integral part of the team but fell out of favour and struggled for minutes. Her exit to Everton will not make much of impact.
Tottenham
InsOlivia Holdt (Midfielder, from Rosengard)Lize Kop (Goalkeeper, from Leicester)Josefine Rybrink (Defender, free agent)OutsWang Shuang (Winger, to Wuhan Chegu Jiangda)Araya Dennis (Forward, to Southampton on loan)Elkie Bowyer (Midfielder, to Ipswich on loan)Tottenham's January does not leave much to complain about.Lize Kop proved herself as a goalkeeper for Leicester, Denmark international Olivia Holdt is a promising player for the future and Sweden defender Josefine Rybrink has extensive experience in her home nation's top flight.More recruitment could have been a bonus, but Robert Vilahamn seems to have built a relatively settled side.
West Ham
InsVerena Hanshaw (Defender, from Roma)Eva Nystrom (Defender, from Hammarby)OutsInes Belloumou (Defender, to Malmo on loan)Katelin Talbert (Goalkeeper, to Aston Villa on loan)Shannon Cooke (Defender, to Birmingham City on loan)West Ham once again find themselves towards the bottom of the league table, but there is not too much cause for concern given that they are six points ahead of 12th-placed Crystal Palace.That position means their relatively limited action in January is not much of an issue. They have opted to use the window to bring in just two players, but those two players are quality additions.Verena Hanshaw is a veteran defender who will help to strengthen their back line, while Eva Nystrom has played in Sweden's top flight for a number of years.