Chelsea Women have reached an agreement with the San Diego Waves on the transfer of U.S. Women's National Team defender Naomi Gilma for a record fee of $1.1 million, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations. As of Tuesday, documents regarding the transfer and Gilma's contract at Chelsea were still being negotiated and had not yet been finalized. The 24-year-old will now become the first player to receive a transfer fee of over $1 million.

Gilma's contract with the Wave expires in 2026, which is why the deal requires a transfer fee.

The Tide declined to comment on Tuesday, and Chelsea did not respond to a request for comment.

The Waves announced their preseason roster before the team's first practice Tuesday, which includes Gilmar. She reported to San Diego on the first day of training.

Gilma is considered one of the best defenders in the world and earned high praise for her performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she played every minute of the U.S. Women's National Team's gold-medal run.

"She's the best defender I've ever seen," head coach Emma Hayes said after her team's semifinal victory over Germany. "once."

Gilma has attracted considerable interest from Europe, including Lyon - who themselves have made an offer of $1 million. Arsenal are not among the final contenders for Gilma, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

Girma joins the Wave as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NWSL draft after playing collegiately at Stanford. She was twice named NSWL Defender of the Year and was a member of the Wave team that won the NWSL Shield in 2023. The Wave prepared to lose Gilmar for the 2025 season and signed 17-year-old center back Trinity Armstrong. Signed a three-year contract with the University of North Carolina last week. A source with knowledge of the negotiations said Gilma asked to leave the Tide last season, just like midfielder Jadin Shaw, who was recently traded to the North Carolina Courage.

The centre-back made her debut for the U.S. Women's National Team in April 2022 and has gone on to represent the national team 44 times. She did not participate in the senior team's January training camp due to a minor calf injury.

Jonas Eidevall was named Wave head coach in January following the departure of Casey Stoney in June. Club president and former United States coach Gil Ellis stepped down in December to become FIFA's chief football officer.

Chelsea have been sidelined since Canada international Kadeisha Buchanan suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in November.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

US Women's National Team, San Diego Wave, Soccer, NWSL, UK Women's Soccer

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