The Women’s Super League (WSL) transfer window has been open since June 18, while the rest of the European leagues open theirs on July 1. As such, the rumor mill is churning into action, but some interesting moves have already been agreed.
Here is a look at some of the best deals across women’s football so far.
Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris Saint-Germain to OL Lyonnes)
Katoto is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in women’s football. With 156 goal contributions in 136 league appearances for Paris Saint-Germain, the 25-year-old is already a veteran. She has a major appetite for goals and has scored 15+ in five of her seven seasons in the French league, hitting the 20+ mark three times in that period.
The France international adds a volume of high-quality shots as she consistently gets into good areas. She has an expected goal (xG) differential (goals minus xG) of over 16 in the last three league seasons, and has averaged almost seven touches inside the opposition penalty box per game since 2021-22.
Katoto has everything in her repertoire. Her goals range from tap-ins to to headers to strikes from acute angles under pressure, and she combines elite movement in the box with expert hold-up play.
While this move reinforces OL Lyonnes’ attack, it also weakens their biggest domestic rivals: PSG. The Parisian side have lost two of their pillars in attack to OL Lyonnes — Kadidiatou Diani and Katoto — in the last couple of years. And — with Katoto, Ada Hegerberg and Melchie Dumornay — Lyon now have arguably the most potent attack across all of women’s football.
Jule Brand (Wolfsburg to OL Lyonnes)
Brand is one of 10 players to leave Wolfsburg this summer. Touted as one of the brightest talents in Europe, the 21-year-old has already played five full seasons in Germany, averaging a goal contribution every two games.
She recorded over six touches inside the opposition box per game over the last three seasons, despite starting out wide, and she loves to drive at her opponents with her long strides helping move possession up the pitch quickly. Her average of six dribbles per game over the last three seasons puts her in the top percentile of wingers across Europe. And, despite the fact that a high volume of them happen in a crowded final third, she boasted a success rate of almost 49% last season.
Last season, Brand started picking up the ball a little deeper and more than doubled her carries into the final third from 1.1 per game in 2023-24 to 3.2 per game in 2024-25. She will fit this OL Lyonnes side, who are deadly in transition, like a glove.
Mara Alber (Hoffenheim to Chelsea)
Alber is the latest addition to a long list of young talent joining Chelsea. Coming through Hoffenheim’s academy, she first attracted attention when playing for Germany at the U17 Women’s World Cup in 2022, where she picked up two goals and three assists.
She managed six goals and five assists for her club in 2023-24, playing most of her minutes on the right wing, though she has shown herself to be versatile and can play anywhere across the front line. However, an ankle injury kept her out of most of the following season.
Alber regularly presents herself as a passing option, often picking up the ball on the half-turn and with her back to goal, and received over eight progressive passes per game in 2023-24. Her excellent footwork and close control allow her to break the defensive lines with her dribbles and, when playing out on the wing, she has the quality to put in great crosses.
Indeed, she created 20 chances and put in 38 crosses in her 1,184 minutes on the pitch during the 2023-24 season, while her willingness to press makes her a well-rounded and malleable prospect. She should give Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor flexibility in every tactical setup and could prove to be a gamechanger.
Vanessa Gilles (OL Lyonnes to Bayern Munich)
Bayern Munich have been dominant force domestically in recent years, but the signing of Gilles from the eight-time European champions is a step towards making more of an impact in the Champions League.
Gilles, 29, was an integral part of OL Lyonnes’ defence last season, playing the most league minutes of any outfielder (1,325), and formed a rock solid partnership with Wendie Renard in central defence which saw the side concede just seven league goals.
The former Angel City FC defender doesn’t often jump into rash challenges but is an incredible defender in her own box, clearing virtually everything that comes her way. She is an imposing figure against dribblers in one-vs.one situations and has a 78.6% success rate in her tackling duels, the second highest in Lyon and sixth-best in France. Though her passing under pressure is an area she could improve on.
She is also a towering presence in both penalty boxes, making her a threat from set pieces. Indeed, she is a primary target from corners and scored six goals last season, the most by any defender in the French league.
Her addition provides new Bayern manager José Barcala with three formidable and experienced center back options in Glodis Viggosdottir, Magdalena Eriksson and Gilles, allowing his team to adapt to any style.
Moeka Minami (Roma to Brighton & Hove Albion)
Brighton announced the shock signing of Roma center back Minami earlier this month after paying her €100,000 release clause. After finishing fifth, while conceding the joint-fourth most goals in the WSL last campaign, the Seagulls were looking to tighten things up at the back, and Minami is an excellent ball-playing defender who has played the most league minutes for Roma over the past three seasons.
In fact, the Japan international accounted for 10.7% of AS Roma’s total open-play touches in Serie A last season, the highest share of any player in the squad and sixth-highest overall in the league. She attempted 103 progressive passes, with a completion rate of 88.7%, the second highest by any outfielder in the league behind teammate Elena Linari (89.1%).
The former Urawa Reds defender is a formidable presence and made 80 clearances last season, the most by a Roma player in the league, while her positioning allows her to recover possession and snuff out danger.
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