There was plenty of movement in the January transfer window where the WSL was concerned. Who do you think carried out the smartest dealings?
Perhaps the most significant occurrence was the Alessia Russo saga. Arsenal submitted a record-breaking bid for the goal machine, which was rejected – ultimately, Russo remained a United player at the end of it all. This season, Russo is United’s top goalscorer, having found the back of the net on five occasions in the WSL.
Arsenal also sold one of their top midfielders, Jordan Nobbs, to Aston Villa during the January window. Nobbs had been at the club since 2010, scoring 81 goals in 270 games.
This wasn’t the only significant signing made by Villa during the window. They also snapped up Lucy Staniforth, another WSL veteran, from Manchester United for an undisclosed fee.
Despite this outgoing, United didn’t rest on their laurels – they signed Estelle Cascarino on loan from PSG. An intelligent, left sided defender, Cascarino will help tighten up United’s already-erudite back line. So far, the Red Devils have only conceded six goals this season in the WSL.
Earlier in the month, Tottenham made waves when they signed Bethany England from Chelsea. She had been one the Blues’ best players upon her departure, scoring 74 goals across 164 appearances.
Liverpool’s most significant foray into the transfer market came when they re-signed Gemma Bonner, a Liverpool icon who had previously captained them to two WSL titles in 2013 and 2014. She had previously been at Racing Louisville, playing for Manchester City before that.
Currently, Manchester United are top of the WSL table. However, Chelsea are hot on their heels, being behind them on goal difference. Despite this, United have strengthened in the January window, while Chelsea have arguably grown weaker – could this prove to be decisive at the end of the season?