San Diego Wave reportedly finalizing transfer for USWNT’s Naomi Girma with Chelsea for record $1.1 million fee

After three seasons with the San Diego Wave, Naomi Girma is crossing the pond. The Wave have traded the center back and USWNT staple to Chelsea Women, per The Athletic.

Girma, one of the best center backs in the world, will head to Chelsea in exchange for a record $1.1 million transfer fee. Chelsea, Arsenal and Lyon had all reportedly shown interest in acquiring the 24-year-old defender, per ESPN; in the end, Chelsea won out.

The fee is the highest in women’s soccer history, and marks the first time that a transfer has broken the $1 million mark. Girma’s transfer smashes the previous record set last offseason, with Bay FC acquiring Zambian forward Rachael Kundananji from Madrid CFF for $860,000.

Girma will now join USWNT teammates Mia Fishel and Catarina Macario at Chelsea, which currently sits at the top of the Women’s Super League. Chelsea is chasing its straight sixth league title this season under manager Sonia Bompastor, who replaced current USWNT coach Emma Hayes.

The Wave, in its first season, selected Girma as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2022 draft out of Stanford. In three seasons, the defender helped lead the team to the 2023 NWSL Shield and the 2024 NWSL Challenge Cup. Girma is a well-decorated, brilliant back line anchor who can not only anticipate opponents’ moves but is also key to creating offensive chances in the run of play.

Girma departs San Diego while the team is in the middle of a pretty significant rebuild. The Wave hired Arsenal women’s coach Jonas Eidevall as head coach earlier this month, turning the page on the Casey Stoney era. But the team will be missing some of its biggest faces next season, with inaugural player Alex Morgan retiring in September and young forward Jaedyn Shaw being traded to the North Carolina Courage.

Perhaps in anticipation of Girma leaving, the Wave signed 17-year-old defender Trinity Armstrong — another young, talented defender — to a three-year contract on Jan. 16. Armstrong won an NCAA National Championship in a standout freshman season at the University of North Carolina, and is one of five nominees for U.S. Soccer’s 2024 Young Player of the Year award. She might not be Girma, but Armstrong will be a strong addition to the San Diego back line as the team rebuilds.