WSL news

United States Women's national team star Sam Coffey has completed a move from the Portland Thorns to Manchester City, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract with the current Women's Super League leaders.

GOAL looks at the top USWNT performances abroad, from Thompson's one-touch tap-in finish to Heaps' signing with NWSL expansion side Denver Summit FC.

Sandy Baltimore scored the pick of the goals and grabbed a second from the penalty spot as Chelsea swept aside West Ham 5-0 on Sunday to keep up the pace on Manchester City at the top of the Women's Super League table. The Blues led after just 46 seconds at Kingsmeadow and did not look back as they launched wave after wave of attack on their visitors, with Lauren James and Alyssa Thompson also grabbing first-half goals in a rampant display.

Manchester City maintained their six-point lead atop the Women's Super League table thanks to a dominant 2-0 victory over Everton on Sunday. Kerolin opened the scoring as she finished a brilliant solo run with a deflected finish in the first half, while Vivienne Miedema ended the game as a contest with a smart touch and finish from Khadija Shaw's clipped through-ball.

Lionesses star Georgia Stanway has confirmed that she will leave Bayern Munich this summer, paving the way for a potential return to England and the Women's Super League. The midfielder's next destination has not been officially revealed just yet but Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move for the two-time European Championship winner, who previously spent seven years at Manchester City.

Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce was the hero as 10-player Manchester United clung on to steal a 0-0 draw away at Arsenal in the first WSL game of the new year. The visitors were reduced to 10 midway through the second half when Jayde Riviere was sent off, but held firm to keep a clean sheet and ensure the Gunners do not pull further away from them at the top of the table.

Arsenal failed to take advantage of a huge opportunity to open up a four-point cushion inside the Champions League places on Saturday, forced to settle for just a point in a 0-0 draw with Manchester United despite the Red Devils being reduced to 10 just past the hour. The Gunners created plenty of chances and really should've come away with the win but were let down by their finishing on a disappointing day out.

United States international Jenna Nighswonger looks to be finally set for some regular game time after completing a loan move away from Arsenal. The full-back has found opportunities hard to come by since joining the Women's Super League club last January but has now secured a temporary switch that should change that - one which also includes an option to buy.

As London City Lionesses prepared for their first season in the Women's Super League, the excitement and anticipation was palpable. Fuelled by the finances of billionaire owner Michele Kang, the independent club from the capital made a serious splash in the summer transfer window, with a deadline-day, world-record deal for France midfielder Grace Geyoro acting as the exclamation point. But despite such heavy investment, with half a season gone, things haven't panned out exactly as Kang and her staff would've liked.

Arsenal boss Renee Slegers has been rewarded with a new long-term deal after an extraordinary 2025 in which she led the Gunners to Women's Champions League glory. Slegers was due to be out of contract this summer but the club has now acted to secure her signature for the next three-and-a-half years, handing the 36-year-old a deal that runs through to 2029.

Arsenal have had their fair share of success stories over the years when it comes to the women's side of the academy. Leah Williamson, England's two-time European Championship-winning captain, and Lotte Wubben-Moy, also part of those triumphs with the Lionesses, are two of the most high-profiles examples of players who have progressed through the youth set-up and become key members of the first team - and they will not be the last.

Manchester City are reportedly in advanced talks to sign United States international Sam Coffey from Portland Thorns. The Women's Super League pacesetters are seeking to end Chelsea's six-year stranglehold on the division, and now they are progressing with an eye-catching move for the midfielder. If they get this deal over the line, this could be a huge boost in their title bid.

Arsenal midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross has returned to her native Australia indefinitely after her mother, Jess, was diagnosed with a terminal and aggressive form of cancer. The 23-year-old will miss the Gunners' upcoming Women’s Super League fixture as she supports her family through what she described as a "world-changing" diagnosis.

Manchester United have extended the expiring contract of Lionesses star Ella Toone, as well as those of Elisabeth Terland, Lisa Naalsund and Gabby George, until the summer of 2027. All four were set to become free agents in just six months' time, meaning they were also free to discuss moves with any suitors from abroad following the turn of the New Year. However, United have acted to trigger one-year clauses for the quartet, with all eyes now on if longer deals can be struck with the players.

Manchester United's season so far has been dominated by criticisms of the preparation, or lack thereof, done before it. After making just three summer signings, while bidding farewell to two first-team players, the Red Devils' squad looked completely ill-equipped for the challenge of competing in the Women's Champions League proper for the first time, if they were to also remain a contender on a domestic front. But having rather admirably kept themselves afloat despite those issues, United are already attacking the January window with the necessary, and overdue, vigour needed.

The grieving family of Maddy Cusack have expressed their fury after the inquest into her tragic death was delayed yet again. Their lawyer accused Sheffield United of submitting a massive document just days before Christmas, making it impossible to proceed. The club strongly denies the claims, but the hearing has now been pushed back until June, prolonging the family's agony.

GOAL predicts how the the top USWNT players will do abroad in 2026, from Girma, Thompson and Macario at Chelsea to Heaps and Yohannes at Lyon, Tullis-Joyce at United and Fox at Arsenal.