Tottenham sign Alice Sombath from Lyon in club record transfer

Tottenham Women have officially completed the signing of France international defender Sombath from Lyon for a club-record transfer fee. Although the price paid for the 22-year-old remains undisclosed, the figure surpasses Spurs' previous benchmark set by the arrival of Signe Gaupset in January, which was reportedly worth over £375,000. Sombath becomes the north London club's sixth arrival of the summer transfer window.

Having made her professional breakthrough with Les Fenottes at just 16 years old, the young footballer etched her name into history as the first player of Thai heritage to lift the Women's Champions League trophy.

Armed with valuable experience following her call-up to the France squad for Euro 2025, the gifted defender is eager to embrace her new adventure in England with Tottenham. Speaking to the club's official website about the move, Sombath said: "I had a lot of talks with my entourage and I thought it was also another step for me to change clubs and try to give myself a new challenge.

"It means a lot. It's a new team for me. After six years in my past club, it's going to be a new challenge and I can't wait to start the season. The league is very competitive. It's the difficult games I'm most looking forward to. Every game is a tough game and coming here, that's what I'm most excited about."

The capture of Sombath completes all six of Ho's primary transfer targets, following the earlier arrivals of Shekiera Martinez, Kirsty Hanson, Victoria Pelova, Caitlin Dijkstra, and Selma Panengstuen.

Assessing the pedigree of a player who boasts five domestic titles alongside European silverware, Ho stated: "She fits the profile of what we’re building. She has already shown real maturity in her performances, and we believe she has all the qualities to continue developing into a top player within our environment.

"Alice is an aggressive defender who is comfortable in possession, competitive in her duels, and has the ambition to keep improving every day. Those characteristics are really important to us, and we’re excited to help her take the next step in her career while strengthening the squad."

Securing their summer business early provides Ho's side with a distinct advantage as they undergo a complete pre-season campaign. Having staged an impressive climb from 11th to fifth position last term, Spurs are now targeting a top-four push to close the gap on the league's elite. Sombath's international experience and winning pedigree are expected to prove pivotal when the new WSL season kicks off on September 4.