Gotham FC signs striker Sam Kerr, bringing back the former club player | OneFootball

NJ/NY Gotham FC is bringing back the club's former all-time leading goal scorer, Sam Kerr, on a free transfer following the expiry of her contract with Chelsea F.C. Women. The Australian international has signed a contract that will keep her with the team through the 2030 season. The forward is waiting on her international transfer certificate clearance, and is supposed to join the Bats in July.

Kerr will be reunited with multiple former Chelsea teammates in Ann-Katrin Berger, Jess Carter, and Guro Reiten, as well as the one-and-only holdover from her Sky Blue FC days in Mandy Freeman. Kerr leaves Chelsea after an incredibly successful six-and-a-half-year tenure that included five WSL titles, three FA Cups, and three League Cups. She also scored 116 goals in 158 appearances, tied for the most in the club’s history.

Built into this success, however, was an ACL injury in January 2024 that kept her out until September 2025. And while it did take her some time to get back going and find her groove again, she ended her Chelsea tenure on a high with eight goals and two assists in her final eight games. And sandwiched into those eight matches, she managed four goals and an assist in six games for Australia in the Women's Asian Cup in March.

The newest player and also the returnee will reassume her trademark number 20 jersey upon her return to the club. Rookie goalkeeper Teagan Wy, who took the number 20 at the beginning of the season, will switch to the number 31.

How does Kerr fit into this Gotham FC team?

Kerr returns to the club that really helped put her on the international radar. In the 2017 season, she won the Golden Boot with a then-record 17 goals, including a 12-minute hat trick against FC Kansas City and a four-goal performance against Seattle Reign FC. Those performances put the world on notice and led to her eventual move to Chicago and then Chelsea.

Quite simply, she is going to be the new starting striker for this team. While it may take a few games for that to materialize as she gets acclimated to the group and ramps back up into match fitness, it should not be long before fans see Kerr starting consistently.

So where does that leave Esther González? There are scenarios where both could see the field at the same time. One such situation could be late in games if Gotham is chasing a late equalizing or winning goal.

But it is hard to find a solution that has both Kerr and González in the Starting XI. That will most likely mean one of Rose Lavelle, Jaedyn Shaw, or Jordynn Dudley will have to be dropped from the starting lineup, something that, given the current form of all three, would not make much sense. And with González currently in the midst of her worst season in a Gotham shirt with just three goals in 12 NWSL games, including the recent NWSL Challenge Cup, the starting striker role is there for the taking for Kerr.

There is also the monetary aspect of this deal. The Australian international is most likely on a smaller, pro-rated salary for this season before her full salary kicks in for 2027. Add to this Emily Sonnett recently signing a contract extension, which utilizes HIP money, as well as high-profile free agents like Ann-Katrin Berger, Jess Carter, Midge Purce, and Lavelle, there will most likely need to be some outgoings in this upcoming offseason.

Unfortunately, it seems like González might be a candidate to be on the move. Despite having another year on her contract, her reported salary of $560k, her lackluster form so far in 2026, and the arrival of Kerr, all of those factors add up to her future at Gotham FC becoming uncertain.