Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement with Angel City for the transfer of American forward Alyssa Thompson. The operation would be closed for an initial figure close to 1.5 million dollars, according to sources close to the negotiation.
The deal could amount to almost $2 million with add-ons, which could break the women’s transfer record.
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) star will sign a five-year contract with the Women’s Super League (WSL) champion team.
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Chelsea has shown great interest in Thompson, and the injury of Mayra Ramírez, who will be out until 2026, accelerated the search for the 20-year-old.
Chelsea had been closely following Thompson and his younger sister, Gisele, 19, who remains at Angel City.Alyssa Thompson está a punto de dejar el Angel City en un posible traspaso récord al Chelsea.Thompson, who was the first overall pick in the 2023 draft and became the first high school student to be selected in league history, traveled to London on Wednesday night and completed a medical assessment at Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham on Thursday afternoon.
The fee will not yet be classified as a world record after Lizbeth Ovalle’s transfer to Orlando Pride surpassed the previous maximum set when Arsenal paid $1.3 million for Olivia Smith from Liverpool. With specific add-ons, the deal could amount to almost $2 million if all requirements are met. However, a source added that the deal is unlikely to reach the world record mark.
Sources added that Angel City and the NWSL were reluctant to let Thompson go. She had scored six goals in 16 league appearances and has been called up 22 times for the United States women’s national team after debuting at 17 years old.
Although personal terms and a verbal agreement have been agreed, Chelsea has until the transfer deadline at 11 p.m. BST (6 p.m. ET) on Thursday to finalize the deal.
Angel City is in ninth place in the NWSL standings, just one point behind Gotham FC, who are in eighth place and the last playoff spot with eight games remaining.
Chelsea kick off the 2025-26 WSL season on Friday at home against title rivals Manchester City. Fresh from a domestic treble, the champions are aiming for a seventh consecutive league title.
