Five players to leave Crystal Palace following relegation from WSL | OneFootball

Annabel Blanchard is one of five players who will leave Crystal Palace at the end of their contracts this summer as confirmed by the club’s released list. (Liam Asman/SPP)

Crystal Palace Women has confirmed that five players will leave the club at the end of their contracts this summer after confirming their released list.

The South London club confirmed the news in an update on their official website.

It comes after the Eagles were relegated from the Women’s Super League (WSL) after enduring a difficult season.

Palace were only able to take 10 points out of 22 games in their first WSL season.

This marked an immediate return to the Women’s Championship after they clinched the title last season by just one point over Charlton Athletic.

Annabel Blanchard among five players to leave Crystal Palace

Annabel Blanchard heads the released list confirmed by Crystal Palace Women.

The 24-year-old scored 11 goals and provided seven assists during Palace’s Championship-winning 2023-24 season.

She also etched her name in the club’s history books by scoring their first-ever WSL goal against Leicester City in October. Blanchard leaves after making 72 appearances for the club.

Izzy Atkinson leaves Palace after 17 months at the club. She joined from West Ham in January 2024 and was named the Championship Player of the Month in February 2024 after scoring against Southampton and Blackburn Rovers.

Katrine Veje, capped 168 times by Denmark, and compatriot Mille Geji, both joined the club in the summer of 2024. However, the pair have both left the Eagles after making 41 appearances between them.

Finnish international Ria Öling is the final player leaving whose contract is not being renewed this summer. The former FC Rosengard player joined in January 2025 but made only six appearances.

Additionally, Fliss Gibbons, who made 52 appearances for the Eagles, announced her retirement last month after a 15-year career.

Lexi Potter and Aniek Nouwen will return to Chelsea after loan spells at Crystal Palace. Similarly, Lily Woodham has also completed her loan spell and will return to American side Seattle Reign.

What went wrong for Crystal Palace Women in 2024-25?

Crystal Palace struggled to adapt to life in their first season in the WSL after an impressive 2023-2024 promotion campaign.

The Eagles won just two out of their 22 WSL games, with 16 defeats across the course of the season.

They scored a league-low 20 goals, while additionally conceding 65, averaging at 2.95 goals conceded per match.

There were big defeats during the season, including a 7-0 defeat to eventual champions Chelsea, and a 7-1 loss to West Ham.

Head coach Leif Smerud, who was only appointed by the club in March, announced his departure after the club’s final game, and the Eagles are yet to appoint a replacement for next season.