Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor said the addition of US women’s defender Naomi Girma will help bring even more quality to her squad.
The 24-year-old graced Stamford Bridge on Sunday by confirming her future as a Blue, after weeks of speculation. Chelsea are rumored to have paid a record $1.1m (£890,000) for the transfer to get her to commit to a four-and-a-half-year contract, watching her walk away from National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side of the San Diego Wave.
As well as the arrival of a new signature, Chelseaa 1-0 win Arsenal saw them take an even bigger lead in the Women’s Super League (WSL) standings. They are now seven points clear at the top, trailing Manchester United and continuing their fight for a sixth straight league title.
LONDON IS BLUE!! 🔵#CFCW pic.twitter.com/4RStXqeOzT
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) January 26, 2025
Speaking after the game, Bompastor expressed her opinion on how Girma is likely to strengthen her team even more.
“She’s a really talented player,” she said. “She will bring a lot of quality to the team, even if the team is already talented. I think she has Naomi [Girma] joining the team will bring me even more opportunities; the ability to play three, four, different systems, so I think that’s good. It’s great news for all Chelsea fans today.
“I think it’s Naomi [Girma] is a defender who does really well with the ball in position. She will bring a lot of confidence to the team. She can have a big impact because she is comfortable passing the ball, hitting short, long. She is also capable of driving the ball and creating some adjustment.
“She has great speed, so she can play really high up the court and get the ball back with space behind her. That will bring a big impact to our team.”
POV: You just signed a contract with one of the best defenders in the world. 🌍 pic.twitter.com/bIZo1pOXp6
— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) January 27, 2025
Despite walking away with the win in the end, Bompastor went on to praise Arsenal for their tenacious effort and ability to push Chelsea into a tailspin.
“It’s a really fine line between Arsenal and us,” she said. “It went our way, which I’m very happy with, but if you analyze the game, it was a very difficult game. We didn’t control everything in the game, but we managed to score a goal that brought us a great result.”
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