Sun Jan 26 20:40:58 UTC 2025: ## Chelsea Break Women’s Soccer Transfer Record with Girma Signing
**LONDON, ENGLAND** – Chelsea FC Women have shattered the world record transfer fee for a female footballer, securing the services of US Women’s National Team defender Naomi Girma for a sum exceeding $1 million. The 24-year-old, previously with the San Diego Wave, signed a four-and-a-half-year contract and will wear the number 16 shirt.
Girma’s transfer surpasses the previous record of $862,000 paid for Zambian striker Rachael Kundananji in February 2024. It also marks a significant milestone as the first-ever transfer exceeding $1 million for a woman, and the first for any US player, male or female, to reach this landmark figure.
The move comes 57 years after the first $1 million transfer in men’s football. Remarkably, Girma is also the first central defender in history, male or female, to command a world-record transfer fee.
Girma, who won the US Soccer Women’s Player of the Year award in 2023 and was a key part of the US Olympic gold medal-winning team, expressed her excitement about joining Chelsea, citing the club’s culture and winning mentality as major factors in her decision. She also expressed gratitude to the San Diego Wave for their support.
Chelsea’s Head of Women’s Football, Paul Green, praised Girma’s skills and described her as a “world-class defender” who will significantly enhance the team’s already strong squad. The signing continues Chelsea’s trend of breaking women’s football transfer records, having previously set the record in 2024.
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