In the world of soccer, transfer deals always take place with the aim of strengthening teams by adding new players and removing those who are no longer suitable. In recent years, the value of transfer contracts has been consistently shattered at each stage.
In women’s football, player transfers also occur between teams. Although they may not reach the exorbitant values of their male counterparts, recent years have witnessed record-breaking deals for women in the beautiful game.
Let’s take a look at the biggest transfer deals in the history of women’s soccer, as of July 2023!
5 Most Expensive Women’s Soccer Transfers in History (As of July 2023)
Lauren James – €235,000 (from Manchester United to Chelsea, 2021)
Lauren James is a name that many people will be familiar with, as she is the sister of Reece James, the star player for Chelsea. In 2021, Lauren James moved to the West London club after an impressive spell at Manchester United.
Lauren James was previously a member of the Chelsea women’s youth team from the age of 10 to 14, before joining Arsenal and becoming the second youngest player to represent the club. Her transfer back to her former club from Manchester United placed her among the top 5 biggest transfer deals in the history of women’s soccer.
Milene Domigues – €235,000 (from Fiamma Monza to Rayo Vallecano, 2023)
In 2003, Milene Domigues caused a sensation when she was involved in a transfer deal to Rayo Vallecano for a fee of €235,000. That was a substantial amount at the time, considering it was 20 years ago.
However, this transfer deal was primarily commercial in nature. Milene Domigues is the ex-wife of superstar Ronaldo (Rô Béo), and she never played an official match for her new club. Part of the reason was the strict regulations of women’s football in Spain at that time.
Milene Domigues previously held the world record for juggling the ball consecutively 55,187 times, taking over 9 hours to complete the feat.
Beth England – €285,000 (from Chelsea to Tottenham, 2023)
Beth England is one of the leading goal scorers in English women’s football. This led to Tottenham paying a significant sum to bring the 28-year-old player to their team from arch-rivals Chelsea.
Beth England currently holds the record for the highest transfer value of an English player in women’s football.
Pernille Harder – €294,000 (from Wolfsburg to Chelsea, 2020)
This transfer deal made Harder the most expensive female player in the world at that time. Throughout her career, she scored 250 goals, and in her final season in the Bundesliga, she scored 27 goals in just 21 matches.
In her first season, Harder contributed 17 goals, helping Chelsea win the domestic league title and reach the Champions League final for the first time in the club’s history.
Keira Walsh – €470,000 (from Manchester City to Barcelona, 2022)
Keira Walsh holds the record for the most expensive transfer in women’s football history, moving from Manchester City to Barcelona for a fee of €470,000.
For Walsh, Barcelona was the club she had always dreamed of playing for since she was young. In Barcelona’s case, this transfer deal was nearly 10 times the value of their previous record signing, Magi Leon, who joined the club for only €50,000 in 2017.
Visit Women’s League Soccer for the latest news about women’s football!
