7 World Cup stars who've made WSL transfers after impressing in Australia
The sun may have only just set on the 2023 Women's World Cup but anticipation is already building for the season ahead.
This summer's tournament has provided a global platform for the women's game's brightest stars to showcase their talents, and a host of players have already secured moves to the Women's Super League [WSL] ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. The WSL season is due to kick off on October 1, with four main stadium ties slated for the opening weekend.
Champions Chelsea begin their campaign at Stamford Bridge against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur while Arsenal take on Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium. Meanwhile, Aston Villa welcome Manchester United to Villa Park as newly promoted Bristol City take on Leicester City at their Ashton Gate home.
The WSL transfer window will remain open until September 14, meaning we could still see plenty of incomings and outgoings in the coming weeks. Here, though, Mirror Football takes a look at seven World Cup stars who have already made the switch to the WSL this summer.
Geyse - Barcelona to Manchester United
Geyse has joined Manchester UnitedIt was always going to take a special player to plug the void left by Alessia Russo, but Manchester United may have hit the jackpot by landing the signature of highly-rated Brazil international, Geyse. While Pia Sundhage's side were dumped out of the World Cup in the group stages, the 25-year-old is a serial winner, having claimed the Liga F title, Spanish Super Cup and the Women’s Champions League during her time with Barcelona. With United competing in the Champions League for the first time ever this term, the addition of a player with Geyse's pedigree will surely bolster their hopes for European glory.
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Amanda Ilestedt - Paris Saint-Germain to Arsenal
Sweden defender Amanda Ilestedt became Arsenal's first signing of the summer back in June, and fans of the Gunners will surely be pretty excited to welcome her to Meadow Park after her impressive exploits Down Under. The 30-year-old scored four goals in seven games to help Sweden secure a third-place World Cup finish, and her extensive international experience coupled with her technical ability will make her a shrewd addition to Jonas Eidevall's side.
Daphne van Domselaar - FC Twente to Aston Villa
Aston Villa were the WSL's surprise package last term, securing a fifth-place finish and reaching the FA Cup semi-finals. And they look to have strengthened their squad even further with the addition of Dutch goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar. The 23-year-old has spent her entire professional career with FC Twente in her native Netherlands, but she already has plenty of international experience and impressed at the World Cup as she helped Andries Jonker's side reach the quarter-finals. With Hannah Hampton having swapped the West Midlands for Chelsea, Carla Ward will be hoping her squad will be in safe hands with their new shot-stopper when the season gets underway.
Jill Roord - Wolfsburg to Manchester City
Jill Roord has joined Manchester CityJill Roord has already had a taste of life in the WSL, having spent two seasons in the English top flight with Arsenal. However, she joins Gareth Taylor's side from German giants Wolfsburg, where she scored 31 goals in 69 appearances in all competitions. The 26-year-old has enjoyed plenty of success on the international stage, having won the 2017 Euros on home soil and reached the 2019 World Cup Final. And she impressed again at this summer's tournament, scoring four goals in five games to help the Netherlands reach the last eight.
Ashley Lawrence - Paris Saint-Germain to Chelsea
A versatile, athletic full-back, Ashley Lawrence has attracted plenty of interest from a host of top European clubs in recent months. While Canada had a pretty disappointing World Cup campaign this summer, crashing out in the group stages, the 28-year-old has previously enjoyed international success, winning a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Lawrence also brings European experience to Emma Hayes' squad and was part of the PSG team who finished runners-up to Lyon during the 2016/17 UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign. She was also nominated for the 2021 Ballon d’Or, finishing eighth in the final results.
Cloe Lacasse - Benfica to Arsenal
Another Canadian international, Lacasse made three substitute appearances at this summer's World Cup. While she may not have taken centre stage in Australia and New Zealand, Lacasse has enjoyed a highly successful four-year career with Benfica, scoring 102 goals in 131 games for the Portuguese side and winning three league titles.
Alessia Russo - Manchester United to Arsenal
Alessia Russo has joined Arsenal (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)This one is a bit of a cheat as Alessia Russo has been one of the standout performers in the WSL for the past three years, but her long-awaited move to Arsenal has been one of the biggest sagas of the summer window so far. Russo burst onto the international scene last summer, with her super-sub appearances helping England to glory at EURO 2022. Her impressive form for both club and country saw Arsenal put two world-record bids to United back in January. The Gunners' advances were rejected and Russo helped United achieve European qualification before making the switch to Meadow Park on a free transfer earlier this summer. While the Lionesses came up agonisingly short at this summer's World Cup, Russo scored three crucial goals to help Sarina Wiegman's side reach the Final.
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