Transfer window verdict: how every Women’s Super League club fared | Women’s Super League

Arsenal

With the contracts of so many senior gamers expiring in June, Arsenal’s focus was on making ready for the summer season when they’re anticipated to undergo a serious rebuild. Due to this fact their quiet window was no shock, however they are going to be comparatively happy to have introduced in a star of the long run, Smilla Holmberg, at right-back and to have fulfilled their want for a backup goalkeeper, with Barbora Votíkova’s deadline-day mortgage. Way more important, although, is the optimistic progress they’re understood to have made of their try to signal Georgia Stanway on a free on the finish of the season, and large choices equivalent to not searching for to increase Katie McCabe’s keep, as they put together to refresh the crew.

Key ins Smilla Holmberg (Hammarby), Barbora Votikova (Slavia Prague, mortgage)

Key outs Jenna Nighswonger (Aston Villa, mortgage), Laila Harbert (Everton, mortgage)

Aston Villa

The signing of Oriane Jean-François from Chelsea, for a charge reportedly as excessive as £450,000, is a serious transfer from Villa, whose outcomes haven’t gone the way in which they might have needed in 2026 however who may be happy with their acquisitions. In addition they introduced in Jenna Nighswonger on mortgage from Arsenal. The USA defender arrived in England with a terrific status however issues haven’t labored out for her in north London so, if Villa might help her settle within the WSL and luxuriate in her soccer once more, that might be a intelligent transfer. In addition they recouped some money with the sale of the England winger Katie Robinson to the promotion-chasing Bristol Metropolis.

Key ins Oriane Jean-François (Chelsea), Jenna Nighswonger (Arsenal, mortgage)

Key outs Katie Robinson (Bristol Metropolis), Sarah Mayling (Leicester, mortgage)

Brighton

The primary speaking level of Brighton’s window centred round a participant who didn’t depart: Fran Kirby. The previous England ahead was strongly linked with Juventus and sources have stated the 32-year-old would have preferred the possibility to play Champions League soccer once more, however Kirby was not on the market due to her significance to the crew. Olaug Tvedten’s acquisition from Vålerenga ought to add a goalscoring risk to the midfield. However the relative insignificance of switch information was put into perspective with the dying of Brighton’s head of girls’s and women’ teaching Rado Vidošić, father of the pinnacle coach, Dario. The information affected everyone across the membership.

Key ins Olaug Tvedten (Vålerenga)

Key outs Jorelyn Carabali (Boston Legacy FC)

Chelsea

The membership have continuously been declared “winners” of switch home windows over the previous decade however this one was a uncommon disappointment for Chelsea. They didn’t signal a participant, regardless of making an attempt to take Jennifer Echegini from Paris Saint-Germain. The shortage of exercise is partly all the way down to their give attention to summer season plans, with important incomings and outgoings anticipated, however it’s going to frustrate their followers that they haven’t strengthened, amid poor type and with Sonia Bompastor taking the dangerous step of questioning their squad depth. PSG’s rejection of Chelsea’s bid for Echegini, coupled with Villa’s signing of Jean-François, meant Chelsea have been unwilling to mortgage the England youth midfielder Lexi Potter to Leicester, who had supplied extra recreation time.

Key ins None

Key outs Oriane Jean-François (Aston Villa), Maika Hamano (Tottenham, mortgage)

Everton

Everton labored late into the night time on Tuesday to finish their transfer for the Slovenia midfielder Zara Kramzar from Roma and the supporters may have been glad the deal went by way of after an in any other case quiet window. Kramzar has arrived on mortgage with an obligation to purchase this summer season. The arrivals of Hannah Blundell and Laila Harbert on mortgage from Manchester United and Arsenal respectively will assist to strengthen the squad considerably. Everton stood agency relating to Kelly Gago, insisting they might promote provided that her launch clause have been met, so the want-away France ahead is staying. The pinnacle coach Brian Sørensen was sacked on Wednesday.

Roma, mortgage), Hannah Blundell.

Key outs Katie Robinson (mortgage ended), Hayley Ladd (Crystal Palace)

Leicester

The membership have generally had the bottom common age for a beginning WSL XI this season, so their primary purpose was understood to be making an attempt so as to add extra expertise, and so they did that by shopping for Ashleigh Neville, Rachel Williams, Alisha Lehmann and Emma Jansson, and loaning Sarah Mayling from Aston Villa. These 5 gamers have a mean age of 31 and Leicester hope their maturity on and off the pitch can assist their quest to remain away from the relegation playoff spot. The draw back to Leicester’s window was dropping their former captain Janice Cayman to PSV, however it’s understood the motivation was predominantly to be nearer residence and family members, and he or she moved with the membership’s blessing and greatest needs.

Key ins Ashleigh Neville (Tottenham), Rachel Williams (Manchester United), Alisha Lehmann (Como), Emma Jansson (Rosengård), Sarah Mayling (Aston Villa, mortgage)

Key outs Janice Cayman (PSV)

Liverpool

This was Liverpool’s greatest window in latest reminiscence and went a great distance in the direction of making amends for poor enterprise final summer season and to mitigate for a prolonged damage checklist. The WSL’s backside membership, in peril of dropping their top-flight standing with out main enhancements, seem to have delivered with a number of high quality additions. The Sweden goalkeeper Jennifer Falk, specifically, is a world-class signing. On the different finish of the pitch, the arrivals of Martha Thomas and Anna Jøsendal ought to broaden the purpose risk of the league’s second-lowest scorers, and Alice Bergström acquired off the mark with a purpose final Sunday.

Key ins Alice Bergstrom (Häcken), Aurélie Csillag (Freiburg), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Braveness), Anna Jøsendal (Hammarby), Jennifer Falk (Häcken, mortgage), Martha Thomas (Tottenham, mortgage)

Key outs Rafaela Borggräfe (Bayer Leverkusen, mortgage), Leanne Kiernan (Nottingham Forest, mortgage), Emilia Szymczak (mortgage ended)

London Metropolis Lionesses

One of the best cut price of this WSL window was absolutely London Metropolis’s signing of Delphine Cascarino on a free from San Diego Wave on a three-and-a-half-year deal. The 28-year-old France winger, a star of Euro 2025 and within the prime years of her profession, would ordinarily have been anticipated to signal for a membership competing to win the Champions League, so her arrival is a serious coup for the WSL newcomers, who went on to finish a deadline-day transfer for the Danish midfielder Malou Marcetto from Madrid CFF. A number of gamers additionally left Eder Maestre’s facet on mortgage, together with the younger striker Lotta Lindström, who scored a hat-trick for Birmingham in WSL2 final weekend.

Key ins Delphine Cascarino (San Diego Wave), Malou Marcetto (Madrid CFF)

Key outs Sofia Jakobsson (Toluca), Katie Zelem (West Ham, mortgage), Lotta Lindström (Birmingham, mortgage)

Manchester Metropolis

The leaders accomplished the marquee signing of this window by bringing the USA midfielder Sam Coffey to England. The ladies’s recreation was shocked when it was revealed on 8 January that the events have been in superior talks. It was a flex of Metropolis’s muscle groups, at a time when they’re racing away with the league title, and one other signal of the rising pattern of US gamers being eager to play in Europe. Little or no else occurred throughout this window for Andrée Jeglertz’s facet however their followers will more than likely assume it didn’t must, with issues going so easily. The membership know they should bolster their defensive depth in the summertime if they’re to problem for the European title.

Key ins Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns)

Key outs None

Manchester United

This was a extremely spectacular window for United, who not solely accomplished their enterprise early however introduced in gamers of a excessive calibre in positions the place it was clear they wanted to strengthen, the squad having appeared just a little skinny, provided that they’re juggling European and home soccer. The Germany striker Lea Schüller elevates the ahead line and seems to have settled rapidly, as has Ellen Wangerheim, a 21-year-old who the membership really feel will get higher and higher.

Key to Ellen Wangerheim (Hammarby), Lea Schüller (Bayern Munich), Hanna Lundkvist (San Diego Wave)

Key outs Rachel Williams (Leicester), Geyse (Membership América), Hannah Blundell (Everton, mortgage)

Tottenham

Spurs acted swiftly to finish their enterprise and the remainder of the division are actually beginning to take Martin Ho’s facet severely, after they moved to inside two factors of second spot and a degree of a European place. It’s no secret that a number of Champions League golf equipment had been eager on Signe Gaupset, so Tottenham have been delighted to safe her signature, and their curiosity within the Scandinavian market was additionally evident as they signed Hanna Wijk, Matilda Nildén and Julie Blakstad. The addition of Maika Hamano on mortgage from Chelsea looks like a low-risk however doubtlessly high-reward transfer. The exit of a long-serving fan favorite, Ashleigh Neville, to Leicester was a troublesome capsule for Tottenham supporters to swallow however the membership have been eager to evolve the age profile of the crew.

Key Ins Matilda Nildén (Häcken), Helma Wijk (Hamarby), Signe Gaupset (Brann), Maika Hamano (Chelsea, Mortgage)

Key outs Ashleigh Neville (Leicester), Martha Thomas (Liverpool, mortgage), Equipment Graham (Ipswich, mortgage)

West Ham

The membership had an honest, if unspectacular, window and raised eyebrows with the signing of the Norway defender Tuva Hansen from Bayern Munich. The 28-year-old may be very nicely considered throughout the Bundesliga. In addition they recouped important cash with the sale of Anouk Denton to the American facet Bay FC, in a club-record sale understood to be about £200,000. West Ham additionally held on to their high scorer, Shekiera Martinez, however whether or not or not they’ve completed sufficient to stave off the specter of relegation stays to be seen, significantly in gentle of Liverpool’s spectacular additions.

Key ins Tuva Hansen (Bayern Munich), Ylinn Tennebø (Vålerenga), Ria Bose (Sporting), Katie Zelem (London Metropolis), Estelle Cascarino (Juventus, mortgage)

Key outs Anouk Denton (Bay FC), Manuela Paví (Toluca), Amber Tysiak (Union Berlin)