Alyssa Thompson was the main focus for the start of the conference with questions around her potential signing. Sonia Bompastor said that shes focusing on her players. She also said “There’s always speculations around the transfer window but from the beginning of the week I’ve said I want to focus on the game tomorrow and I want to focus on my players because that’s the most important thing to do for me and the correct thing”
Sam Kerr is confirmed to be on the teamsheet for tommrows match. Sonia said “She’s in a good place, training well she’s physically in a good position. She’s also mentally in a good position,” she also mentioned that we would need to give her more time to be back to 100% saying “I think to be fair to her, she’s been away from the pitch for a long time, so I think we still need to be patient with her.”
The manager also spoke about some of the injuries going into the season. Firstly, commenting on the recent announcement of Mayra Ramierz being out with a hamstring injury until 2026, where she said, “She had successful surgery, which is something really positive, but then again it’s sad for Mayra and for us because she was an important player in the squad and in the team.”
She also mentioned Lucy Bronze saying its difficult to put a timeframe on her return “ she’s doing well she’s in a good place mentally and physically so hopefully she will come back soon I think she’s still some weeks away from her return on the pitch”
Finally It was Lauren James where she said it was also difficult to put a timeframe on it, additionally saying “Her rehab is going on the right direction. I’m not expecting to see her for the next few weeks because again she’s an important player and we need her on the pitch.”
Sonia also commented on tomorrow’s opponents, saying “They have a really good squad and really good players, and it’s never been an easy game to play against them. It’s always been difficult.”
She also noted a key difference from last season, highlighting the City’s players back from injury. “If you analyze them from last season, they had some big injuries in the squad, so they will be back to having almost a full squad. It will be different for sure.”
We asked Sonia: “We’re seeing more clubs invest heavily in their women’s teams. Does that make the WSL more unpredictable this season than ever before, and what do you think we’ll see?
She said “Yeah, for sure making a WSL more unpredictable the more clubs are investing making it more strong and more competitive. I think again this league is the most competitive league in the world from my vision. It’s not because last season we were able to achieve a treble and to win all the domestic trophies. It was difficult last season and it’ll be even more difficult this season we expect that so we just need to make sure we keep the right mentality and keep working hard and keep this winning mentality into this new season and we need to be confident from what we achieved in the past, but also making sure we don’t take that for granted because we know every team will be difficult to beat this season no one is going to give us the trophy.”
Finally, Vera Buurman is one of Chelsea’s possible debuts to be made tomorrow. Sonia said “She’s left footed and she has a really good left foot, she’s really comfortable on the ball and in position.”. She also spoke her game intelligence saying “She’s young and out of position she’s really smart and reads the game really well.”. Finally she added “She has the right mentality and she’s coming on in the right direction.”
12 WSL Teams, 12 New transfers to keep an eye on throughout the season.
Arsenal: Olivia Smith
After her debut in the WSL last season for Liverpool, she became the first £1 million signing this summer. Last summer, the 21 year old signed for Liverpool and became the first ever woman to score for the side at Anfield, quickly becoming a key player.
Across all competitions, the nippy forward scored 9 goals in 25 appearances and was named the Players’ Player and Young Player of the Year from the club. She also got the PFA Women’s Young Player of the Season becoming the first non English recipient.
In 2019, she became the youngest player to ever debut for the Canadian senior team aged 15 and has featured in the Women’s World Cup 2023 and the CONCACAF W Gold Cup squads.
Aston Villa: Lucia Kendall
The 21 year old midfielder made the switch to the midlands after making over 100 appearances for South Coast side Southampton.
Sealing a non-league double with the National League and National League Cup in 2022, she scored 22 goals in 27 appearances and helped her side reach WSL2.
As part of the England U23 Side, she scored her debut goal against Sweden in the U23 European League. For Aston Villa, she looks to provide plenty of goals and help her side get to winning ways.
Brighton: Chiamaka Nnadozie
Nigerian Goalkeeper Nnadozie joined from Paris FC after having a stellar 5 years in the French capital. This summer, she won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and was named as the best goal keeper of the tournament.
The Goalkeeper was also nominated for the Yachine Trophy after her performances and looks to bring the same performances to the Seagulls in the WSL this season.
Chelsea: Ellie Carpenter
The 25 year old right back moved to Chelsea this summer after 5 years in Lyon. For the French side, she made 125 appearances in all competitions and scored 3 goals.
The Australian made her debut aged 15 and was the first player to be born in the 2000s at the time. She was the youngest Australian at the 2016 Olympics and the youngest female footballer to ever compete at the Olympics.
She became the first Australian to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the second (male or female) to win after Harry Kewell. The right back looks to create more goals and secure more trophies with the current treble champions Chelsea this season.
Everton: Mayumi (Maz) Pacheco
The 26 year old returned to Merseyside this summer after her contract ran out at Aston Villa in the summer after 4 years. Despite beginning her senior career at Liverpool 10 years ago, she has also made appearances at Doncaster Rovers, Reading and West Ham.
Across all her clubs, she has made 201 appearances in both the league and cup games and has played in a number of England Youth games before committing to the Philippines. She is yet to play a game as she is awaiting a passport.
The defender looks to create more goals from the back and prevent them while she is back in Merseyside and cement her place in the starting 11.
Leicester: Katie Keane
Irish international and 19 year old goalkeeper is one to watch after securing her place as the number one at Athlone in Ireland. She played every minute across 28 league and cup games before securing the league title.
The youngster arrived from Shamrock Rovers after only being there for 6 months, joining in January 2025. Prior to these, she also became one of Shelbourne’s youngest ever debutants aged just 16.
Joining Leicester, she looks to cement her place as a standout keeper among some key faces in net and will help the side secure their place in the league this season.
Liverpool: Lily Woodham
Prior to her move to the NWSL after her career at Reading, she made 84 appearances in all competitions. She moved to Seattle Reign in 2024 making 9 appearances before going on loan last season to Crystal Palace.
She signed for Liverpool in the summer after competing in Switzerland at the Women’s Euros. The 25 year old left back was the captain for Reading and hopes to bring her leadership skills across to the reds for this season.
She scored the important goal to take her Welsh side through to the European Championships this summer and currently has three international goals to her name.
London City Lionesses: Jana Fernández
The Spanish centre back heads to the WSL this season from Barcelona and seven years at the Catalan side. The 23 year old made her debut for the club aged 16 in 2018 and became the club’s second youngest debutant since its professionalisation in 2015.
She made 47 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona and won three Champions Leagues, five Primera División, three Copa de la Reina and four Supercopa de España Femenina.
This summer, she was in Spain’s squad for the Women’s European Championship and was runner up behind England. Her skills at the back looks to help cement the newcomers place in the league and secure her place in the WSL side.
Manchester City: Iman Beney
The 19 year old forward played her football at BSC Young Boys Frauen before her move to Manchester in the summer, prior to her involvement in the Women’s European Championships.
The youngster played there for three years and featured 40 times, scoring on 14 occasions as well as winning the league this season before signing a four year contract in the WSL.
She made the squad for the 2023 Women’s World Cup but injured her ACL prior to the tournament so this year was her first tournament. The teenage sensation is a dynamic and skillful player that always looks for the goal at any given opportunity.
Manchester United: Fridolina Rolfo
After leaving Barcelona by mutual consent after 4 years, the 31 year old joined the Red Devils on a free this summer after the Women’s European Championships.
With Barcelona, she won the Champions League twice, the Copa de la Reina 3 times, the Supercopa de España twice and the Primera División four times. She made 129 appearances in all competitions and scored 38 goals.
The Swedish Left Wingback has won silver in the Summer Olympics 2016 and 2020, and a bronze medal in the 2019 and 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She also won the Fotbollsgalan Swedish Forward of the Year 4 years on the trot (between 2020 and 2023).
Tottenham Hotspur: Tōko Koga
Aged just 19, the Japanese defender joined the side from Feyenoord in the summer after just 18 months in the Vrouwen Eredivisie. For Feyenoord, she played 25 times and scored on 3 occasions across all competitions.
Koga was included in the Japan squads for the 2024 Summer Olympics and the 2025 SheBelieves Cup. She has had 2 goals for Japan, in a friendly against New Zealand and in the SheBelieves Cup against USA.
The defender looks to help her side and improve her game in the WSL as well as bringing her skills across from the National Team and her Club side.
West Ham United: Ffion Morgan
The Welsh forward announced she was leaving Bristol City after 4 seasons before playing in her first tournament with Wales this summer.
After the tournament, she announced that she was signing for West Ham after making 89 appearances for the south west side, scoring 15 goals and winning the FA Women’s Championship in 2023.
The forward looks to bring goals and assists to the London side and bring more fans across after her success on TikTok bringing her “day in the life” to her football life.
photos from @arsenalwfc, @avwfcwomen, @bhafcwomen, @chelseafcw, @evertonwomen, @lcfcwomen, @liverpoolfcw, @londoncitylionesses, @mancitywomen, @manutdwomen, @spurswomen and @westhamwomen.
On Saturday, 30th August, Chloe Sarwie made her first-team debut for Chelsea after catching the eye in the U18s. The teenager not only impressed new manager Sonia Bompastor but also won the approval of the fans at Kingsmeadow.
International Career
Sarwie earned her first England call-up in late 2024, joining the U17 squad for the UEFA European Championship qualifiers. She made an immediate impact, scoring a low-driven strike from outside the box on her debut against the Faroe Islands, helping England to a 7-0 win. It was the perfect introduction: her first international start, her first international goal.
She continued to feature in the campaign, gaining further minutes off the bench before stepping into a different role during the second round of qualifiers in March 2025. Starting both matches in defence, Sarwie showcased her remarkable versatility — equally comfortable across the pitch, whether in attack or at the back.
England’s campaign ended in disappointment with a 3-1 defeat in their final qualifier, but for Sarwie it was just the beginning. Shortly after turning 16, she was called up to the U19 squad. Although she didn’t make an appearance, her inclusion at that level spoke volumes about the faith England coaches already have in her potential. The experience of training in a tournament environment, at a higher age group, is invaluable preparation for what looks to be a bright future with the senior team.
Club Career
A product of Chelsea’s highly regarded academy, Sarwie currently plays for the U18s but is already knocking on the door of the first team. She was first named in a senior squad for the WSL clash with Tottenham in May, gaining a taste of the matchday experience even without getting on the pitch.
Her official debut came just a few months later, when she came off the bench for Mayra Ramírez in the 34th minute of Chelsea’s pre-season friendly against AC Milan on 30th August. Despite her age, Sarwie made an immediate impression with her pace, physical presence, and tactical adaptability — able to slot into different positions with ease.
Breaking into a senior squad stacked with world-class talent at just 16 is no small achievement. Twice already she has proven she belongs in that environment, underlining why many inside the club view her as one of Chelsea’s most exciting prospects.
Chloe Sarwie is more than just one for the future — she is already showing signs of being a player capable of shaping both Chelsea’s and England’s next generation. With her versatility, drive, and maturity beyond her years, it feels inevitable that we will see her on the biggest stages again very soon.
Remember the name: Chloe Sarwie.
Chloe Sarwie playing against AC Milan. Photo: Chelsea FC
Manchester City kick off the 2025/26 WSL Season as they head to Chelsea on Friday. Last season was a disappointing season for the blues after they finished outside the top 3 but with a new manager in charge and some new faces in the squad they look to get back where they belong.
Joining Manchester City were Sydney Lohmann (Bayern Munich), Jade Rose (Harvard University), Iman Beney (Young Boys), Laura Wienroither (Arsenal), and Eartha Cummings (Rosengard). Laura Coombs, Lily Murphy, Codie Thomas and Mayzee Davies all also signed a new contract extension.
Nick Cushing was interim head coach after the loss of Gareth Taylor in March but he moved to new side Denver Summit FC. Andrée Jeglertz joined the north west from Denmark Women’s National Team ahead of the campaign.
Leaving Manchester this window was Chloe Kelly (Arsenal), Laia Aleixandri (Barcelona) and Jill Roord (FC Twente) with Aemu Oyama going out on loan to Rosengard. Although there are a couple days left of the window, there could still be some comings and goings.
There’s plenty of players to watch but some players people might not know about are Canadian Jade Rose and Swiss forward Iman Beney from Harvard University and Young Boys respectively.
Jade Rose:
The Canadian became City’s first signing of the summer, signing for four years until 2029. The 22 year old arrives from Harvard University as the exciting defender looks to make the step into professional domestic football.
She received a number of Ivy League accolades in her 4 years and was voted Young Women’s Player of the Year for Canada in 2023, already having 28 Senior international appearances to her name.
When speaking to her new club, she stated that: “I think the sky is the limit for this team and I can’t wait to grow and get at it.” Taking over from Laia Aleixandri, she will wear the number 4 in her debut campaign.
Iman Beney:
Already a fully fledged Swiss International, the 18 year old heads to the WSL after winning the league title with BSC Young Boys Frauen. Last season, she finished with nine goals in 22 appearances and earned her spot in the Swiss Super League Team of the Season.
The youngster has an eye for goal and is a dynamic player who will be one to watch in the team this season, especially if people are not familiar with her game.
The fans got an early glimpse of how she plays in their open training session earlier this summer and also got to see how she plays when she had a pivotal part in the home tournament.
When speaking to Manchester City, she said: “For my development, City is the best place. I think it’s a good fit.” The youngster will also wear the number 24 shirt for this campaign.
With the transfer window drawing to a close next week WSL newcomers, London City Lionesses, are certainly looking promising heading into the 25/26 season. With 15 signings and 13 departures, Hayes Lane is set to house an outstanding 25 player team this year.
Between the sticks, former loanee Sophia Poor made her loan deal permanent before heading to Nottingham Forest on loan for the upcoming season. Elene Lete also switched San Sebastián for London, bringing a wealth of experience having won the UEFA Nations League with Spain as well as representing them in the Olympics.
London City Lionesses’ defence was undoubtedly their main focus points this window with a staggering seven transfers, almost half of their signings. Starting things off, Teyah Goldie made her loan move from Arsenal permanent after impressing both Joecelyn Prêcheur and the fans last season. As well as this, we saw the additions of Isa Kardinaal, Poppy Pattinson and Elena Linari, bringing a mix of youth and experience to the side.
More recently, Jana Fernandez joined the blues for free amid Barcelona Femení’s attempts to downsize and cuts squad costs, later being joined by Australia international, Alanna Kennedy, both of whom bring a wealth of experience both domestically and internationally despite their contrasting ages. One final signing saw 19-year-old Wassa Sangaré join the side on a one year loan deal from Lyon.
The midfield had a seemingly quiet transfer window in terms of numbers however huge in terms of names with Danïelle van de Donk and Katie Zelem joining the side at either ends of the window, both players who bring experience in terms of domestic and international appearances and leadership roles in former captaincy for Katie Zelem. Paula Partido put pen to paper in early August however will be spending the season on loan to Dux Logrono in Liga F.
The Blues are set to have a bolstering attack in the coming season with three new members to compete with last seasons championship winners. Sanni Franssi was the team’s second signing of the summer, joining the club from Real Sociedad in Liga F before later being joined by former Arsenal loanee, Freya Godfrey. Nikita Parris was the teams most recent attacking signing, joining the club after a season on the south coast with Brighton & Hove Albion last year.
Despite a whopping fifteen signings already being made, the idea of Beth Mead joining the side has been the talk of the summer. The 30-year-old has spent the last eight years in north London and has two European championships to her name as well as a Champions league title so would bring a wealth of experience to the squad, talks have however appeared to come to a halt with Mead seen in and amongst Arsenals first team since her return from Switzerland this summer.
(All transfers accurate as of 30th August 2025)
London City Lionesses celebrating promotion to the Women’s Super League (05.05.2025 – @Isobel_goodwinx on Instagram)
