France midfielder Grace Geyoro has become the most expensive women’s footballer in history after sealing a stunning £1.4 million move to London City Lionesses from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Women’s Super League newcomers smashed the world transfer record on Friday, eclipsing the £1.1m Orlando Pride paid for Mexico winger Lizbeth Ovalle last month. It marks the third time this summer the women’s record has been broken, underlining the rapid rise of the game’s transfer market.
Geyoro, 28, has signed in time to make her debut later this month and joins a London City side whose ambitious recruitment has turned heads across Europe.
This summer also saw the British transfer record broken in men’s football when an Alexander Isak transfer saga ended with him moving from Newcastle to Liverpool for £125m.
Who is Grace Geyoro?
Geyoro joined PSG as a teenager and made nearly 270 appearances for the French giants, scoring 54 goals and winning three domestic cups. She was twice a Champions League runner-up and has also been a mainstay for France, with more than 100 senior caps and appearances at two World Cups, two European Championships and the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Her new boss Jocelyn Precheur, who previously coached her at PSG, described the midfielder as “one of the best players on the planet” and insisted the Lionesses were right to spend big. “She has a wonderful career but is still underestimated,” he said. “I’m not surprised we had to pay a huge fee for this sort of player.”
London City Lionesses’ bold statement
The record move is another example of London City’s aggressive strategy since promotion. Backed by wealthy American owner Michele Kang, the Lionesses have recruited high-profile players including former Lyon star Danielle van de Donk, ex-Manchester United captain Katie Zelem and England forward Nikita Parris.
In the final hours of the transfer window, the club also triggered Spain international Lucia Corrales’ £430,000 release clause at Barcelona, underlining their financial muscle.
London City will face Arsenal on Saturday in their first WSL match, with Geyoro expected to make her debut at home to Manchester United on 14 September.
Alyssa Thompson joins Chelsea on same day Geyoro smashes world record
There was further transfer drama on Friday as Chelsea announced the signing of USA international Alyssa Thompson from Angel City. The 20-year-old winger agreed a contract until 2030, with the fee reported at just over £1m — making her Chelsea’s new club-record purchase.
Thompson has already won 22 caps for the USWNT, scoring three goals, and was the youngest player ever drafted into the NWSL when she joined Angel City in 2023 straight out of high school. She departs Los Angeles with 15 goals in 63 appearances.
“I want to learn, grow and develop a lot. I feel like Chelsea is such an amazing environment to do that in,” Thompson said after completing her move. Chelsea head of women’s football Paul Green added: “Alyssa is one of the best and most exciting young players in the world, and we’re looking forward to seeing how she develops further during her time with Chelsea.”
Her arrival comes just months after Chelsea signed fellow American Naomi Girma for £900k, and places the Blues at the forefront of the women’s transfer boom once again.
Chelsea announced the signing of Alyssa Thompson, who could eventually replace Grace Geyoro as the most expensive women’s footballer of all time
Top 5 most expensive women’s football transfers
- Grace Geyoro: PSG to London City Lionesses (2025) – £1.4m
- Lizbeth Ovalle: Tigres UANL to Orlando Pride (2025) – £1.1m
- Alyssa Thompson: Angel City to Chelsea (2025) – £1.05m*
- Olivia Smith: Liverpool to Arsenal (2025) – £1m
- Naomi Girma: San Diego Wave to Chelsea (2025) – £900k
*Thompson’s initial transfer fee was around £1.05m, but with add-ons it could eventually surpass Geyoro’s world record.
Women’s Football Transfer Record Timeline
- 2020 (Sep): Pernille Harder joins Chelsea from Wolfsburg for just over £250k.
- 2022 (Sep): Keira Walsh joins Barcelona from Manchester City for £400k.
- 2024 (Jan): Mayra Ramirez joins Chelsea from Levante for £426k.
- 2024 (Feb): Racheal Kundananji joins Bay FC for £685k.
- 2025 (Jan): Naomi Girma joins Chelsea from San Diego Wave for £900k
- 2025 (July): Olivia Smith joins Arsenal from Liverpool for £1m.
- 2025 (Aug): Lizbeth Ovalle joins Orlando Pride from Tigres UANL for £1.1m.
- 2025 (Sep): Grace Geyoro joins London City Lionesses from PSG for £1.4m (current world record).
- 2025 (Sep): Alyssa Thompson moves from Angel City to Chelsea for an estimated £1.05m fee, which could rise beyond the world record depending on add-ons.
