WSL transfer window: club-by-club guide to who needs what

Arsenal

Arguably the most pressing matter facing Arsenal at the moment is to sign a goalkeeper, particularly with Canada’s Sabrina D’Angelo having left at the end of her contract and with the American Kaylan Marckese having moved to Tampa Bay Sun on a free transfer. The World Cup-winning forward Mariona Caldentey has been signed from Barcelona to give Arsenal a major boost after Vivianne Miedema’s switch to Manchester City , but it’s understood a goalkeeper should arrive soon.

Aston Villa

The goalkeeper Arsenal have been most strongly linked with is Aston Villa’s Daphne van Domselaar. If that move comes to fruition then Villa would naturally also be needing to sign a new keeper themselves, and they have been repeatedly linked with the Arsenal leaver Sabrina D’Angelo. Villa might also benefit from a backup forward, after Northern Ireland’s Simone Magill left, while the new manager, Robert de Pauw, may well also want to bring in more players to stamp his mark on the team. So far, Levante’s Spain left-back Paula Tomás and Brighton’s England winger Katie Robinson have arrived, with the latter replacing Switzerland winger Alisha Lehmann, who has joined Juventus.

Brighton

Brighton have been very busy in the transfer market this summer, even before the formal appointment of Dario Vidosic as their manager. Exactly how many more new faces the former Australia international would like to bring in is not yet clear but the arrival of the England star Fran Kirby from Chelsea will already provide the Sussex club with a lift, along with Japan’s Kiko Seike, but the major downside of their window so far was the departure of their top scorer from last season, Elisabeth Terland, to Manchester United .

Chelsea

The defending champions have made several world-class additions already, not least the England right-back Lucy Bronze from Barcelona, as well as the PSG duo Sandy Baltimore and Oriane Jean-François and the Spain starlet Júlia Bartel, with Colombia’s Mayra Ramírez having been added to the attacking ranks in January for a British record transfer fee. Now it’s understood a defender could leave the club this summer, to add to a list of outgoings that already includes big names such as Fran Kirby and the Germany midfielder Melanie Leupolz.

Crystal Palace

Since winning promotion to the WSL for the first time, Crystal Palace are yet to officially sign any new players and that’s going to have to change if they are to stave off the threat of relegation. They are understood to have been busy in the background, however. They will need goalkeepers, given that Demi Lambourne – who played 15 times while on loan from Leicester last term – has signed for Sunderland, and another goalkeeper, Fran Kitching, left at the end of her contract. More broadly, they will need more WSL experience and quality to bridge what is a gulf between the top two tiers, as Bristol City found out last season.

Everton

The Nigeria forward Toni Payne and the Spain midfielder Inma Gabarro, both key targets, are set to sign for Everton from Sevilla. Toni Duggan and the Juventus-bound Hanna Bennison have been among the players to leave this summer. To what extent the women’s team carry out further transfer business this summer may depend on whether a takeover of the wider football club goes through and how much cash is available.

Leicester

Improving their defence has been a key priority for Leicester this summer, after they conceded more than two goals per game in the WSL last term, and the signings they have already made, in the shape of the England youth defender Asmita Ale and the Jamaica defender Chantelle Swaby, should help in that regard. Further arrivals are expected and the midfield options available to the new manager, Amandine Miquel , will need to be bolstered in the wake of the summer exits of Aimee Palmer and Josie Green, along with the retirement of the captain, Aileen Whelan.

Liverpool

Matt Beard’s side have broken their club transfer record to bring in the 19-year-old Canada forward Olivia Smith for a fee in excess of £200,000 from Sporting Lisbon. They are also likely to need a right wing-back, after the Finland international Emma Koivisto moved to Milan. It’s understood the club are looking to bring in a couple of further new faces this summer.

Manchester City

Gareth Taylor’s side need more cover in defence, after Steph Houghton’s retirement and the exits of Demi Stokes and Esme Morgan, with only the Japan right-back Risa Shimizu and the high-profile signing of the WSL’s record scorer, Viviane Miedema, so far. The future of England winger Chloe Kelly will also need to be cleared up, with the 26-year-old having been repeatedly linked with PSG.

Manchester United

Among the main priorities for United will be a goalkeeper, after Mary Earps’ move to Paris Saint-Germain, and reinforcing their options in central midfield following the exits of Katie Zelem and Irene Guerrero, who joined the Mexican team Club América on Thursday; signings in both those areas are very likely in the coming days and weeks. Marc Skinner’s side have already added the defender Dominique Janssen, the France forward Melvine Malard and the Norway striker Elisabeth Terland .

Tottenham

Before the start of the summer window, Robert Vilahamn was open in saying he was hoping to make four or five signings, so though two fresh faceshave arrived, more are expected. It is likely that at least one of those will be an attacking midfielder, following the end of Grace Clinton’s loan spell from Manchester United. Vilahamn’s strategy is understood to be to bring in up-and-coming players and develop them on the training ground, so youthful targets are likely, on a similar trajectory to that of the 21-year-old England youth-level defender Ella Morris, who has been signed from Southampton.

West Ham

The east London club have brought in the Poland goalkeeper Kinga Szemik, replacing Australia’s Mackenzie Arnold after her move to Portland Thorns on a free transfer. The arrival of the Chile centre-back Camila Sáez will help fill the void left by the departure of France’s Hawa Cissoko. It is believed West Ham could be searching for another defender. While the return of Iceland’s Dagný Brynjarsdóttir – who has signed an extended contract – after her maternity leave is a great boost, the squad still looks a little light on depth across the midfield after several summer end-of-contract exits.