Chelsea complete signing of Girma for record fee

Chelsea have completed the signing of United States defender Naomi Girma for a world-record transfer fee for a female player.

A fee of just under £900,000 was agreed with San Diego Wave, paving the way for the 24-year-old centre-back to move to London.

Girma is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world.

She was targeted by Chelsea after Kadeisha Buchanan was sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

She was named US Soccer’s female player of the year for 2024 and played a key role in her country winning Olympic gold.

“I’m so happy and really excited to be here. It doesn’t feel real,” said Girma who was introduced to fans at Stamford Bridge before Sunday’s 1-0 win over Arsenal. “There are a lot of things about Chelsea that made me want to come here – the culture, the winning mentality, staff and players. “It’s a top environment to learn and grow in. Right now, that’s what I’m looking to do.”