Alyssa Thompson: Chelsea strike verbal agreement with Angel City for United States international | OneFootball

WSL champions will pay just below world record fee for the forward

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Chelsea have struck a verbal agreement to sign Alyssa Thompson from Angel City.

Standard Sport understands that the Blues will pay just under £1million for the forward, and it will not eclipse the £1m world record fee paid by Arsenal for Olivia Smith from Liverpool.

Thompson, 20, completed and passed her medical on Thursday in a combination of tests taking place at Cobham and off-site in London.

The Women’s Super League transfer window shuts today, with the deadline at 11pm BST on Thursday, September 4.

Thompson has 22 senior caps for the United States, making her debut back in 2022 at just 17 years of age against England.

This season, she has hit six goals in 16 games, and she was drafted first in the NWSL 2023 picks, becoming the first player of high-school age to achieve the feat.

Thompson did not feature at all in Angel City’s 2-1 victory over Bay FC earlier this week, and she looks set to follow Alanna Kennedy and Katie Zelem to England from the Californian outfit.

Thompson will sign for Chelsea after the Blues’ sixth consecutive WSL title was delivered by Sonia Bompastor.

She will join fellow new recruits Ellie Carpenter, Livia Peng, Becky Spencer and Mara Alber in west London.

Chelsea are struggling with injuries in their frontline, with Sam Kerr still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament problem from last year, and Mayra Ramirez recently had surgery on a hamstring injury.

Lauren James picked up another injury during England’s successful European Championships campaign.