WSL 2025–26 Summer Transfers: Who Strengthened, Who Struggled, and Who Stands Still (Part 2)
Liverpool and Manchester City lose proven starters, while London City make bold splashes. Data-driven analysis of every signing's impact on WSL minutes, goals, and market value.
Introduction
In Part 1, we analysed the first six WSL clubs’ transfer business — from Arsenal’s statement arrivals to Leicester City’s risky departures. Now, Part 2 continues the breakdown, focusing on the remaining six clubs: Liverpool, London City, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham.
Using WSL-only 2024/25 minutes, goals + assists, age, and market value, we again measure each club’s balance to see who strengthened, who struggled, and who stand still.
As the picture sharpens, clear patterns emerge: established contenders lose proven starters, ambitious mid-table sides gamble on imports, and youth-heavy projects hint at long-term resets. Together, they frame a league where calculated risks and bold bets may define the new season.
7. Liverpool
🔴 Liverpool Women’s Arrivals (2025/26)
Rafaela Borggräfe — Freiburg | Age 25 | €95k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Kirsty Maclean — Rangers | Age 20 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Samantha Kerr — Bayern Munich | Age 26 | €200k | 873 mins | 1 G+A
Lily Woodham — Seattle Reign | Age 24 | €60k | 1,651 mins | 1 G+A
🔴 Liverpool Women’s Departures (2025/26)
Niamh Fahey — Retired | Age 37 | €0 | 55 mins | 0 G+A
Teagan Micah — Lyon | Age 27 | €65k | 630 mins | 0 G+A
Jasmine Matthews — Free agent | Age 32 | €30k | 970 mins | 1 G+A
Taylor Hinds — Arsenal | Age 26 | €100k | 1,912 mins | 2 G+A
Olivia Smith — Arsenal | Age 21 | €465k | 1,569 mins | 7 G+A
Yana Daniëls — Burnley | Age 33 | €35k | 123 mins | 0 G+A
📝 Verdict
Liverpool’s window is a net downgrade in both experience and proven output:
Lost two key contributors in Olivia Smith (7 G+A) and Taylor Hinds (2 G+A, 1,900+ mins).
Replacements bring younger profiles and some WSL experience (Woodham, Kerr) but lack equivalent production.
Squad value drops by €340k, with over 2,700 WSL minutes gone.
➡️ Verdict: Weakened — Liverpool trimmed age but at the cost of immediate quality. Without Smith and Hinds, they’ve lost vital attacking contributions and leadership. Woodham and Samantha Kerr add some WSL-ready minutes, and Borggräfe replaces Micah in goal, but creativity and production are down. Quick integration from the new full-backs and midfield is essential.
8. London City Lionesses
🦁 London City Lionesses Arrivals (2025/26)
Paula Partido — Real Madrid B | Age 20 | €30k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Sophia Poor — Aston Villa | Age 19 | €20k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Poppy Pattinson — Brighton | Age 25 | €70k | 1,527 mins | 2 G+A
Teyah Goldie — Arsenal | Age 21 | €10k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Sanni Franssi — Real Sociedad | Age 30 | €100k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Elene Lete — Real Sociedad | Age 23 | €125k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Daniëlle van de Donk — Lyon | Age 34 | €150k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Isa Kardinaal — Ajax | Age 20 | €35k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Nikita Parris — Brighton | Age 31 | €80k | 1,850 mins | 12 G+A
Freya Godfrey — Arsenal | Age 20 | €20k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Elena Linari — Roma | Age 31 | €125k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Jana Fernández — Barcelona | Age 23 | €300k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
🦁 London City Lionesses Departures (2025/26)
Georgia Brougham — Nottingham | Age 29 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Megan Campbell — Free agent | Age 32 | €25k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Lucy Fitzgerald — Charlton | Age 24 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Connie Scofield — Sheffield Utd | Age 26 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Charlène Meyong — Free agent | Age 26 | €40k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Miljana Ivanović — Malmö FF | Age 25 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Hermione Cull — Free agent | Age 21 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Danielle Carter — Free agent | Age 32 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Amelia Ajao — Free agent | Age 19 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Mengyu Shen — Free agent | Age 23 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Grace Neville — Ipswich Town | Age 25 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah — Nottingham | Age 29 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Emma Mukandi — Retired | Age 33 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
📝 Verdict
LCL executed one of the biggest rebuilds in the league:
Added proven WSL performers in Nikita Parris (12 G+A, 1,800+ mins) and Poppy Pattinson (1,500+ mins).
Recruited experience and leadership with Van de Donk and Linari, alongside young prospects like Partido and Poor.
Departures were mostly fringe or free agents, meaning very little production lost.
➡️ Verdict: Strengthened (decisively) — a net gain in every metric, instantly turning LCL into a squad with top-half potential.
9. Manchester City
🔵 Manchester City Women’s Arrivals (2025/26)
Jade Rose — Harvard | Age 22 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Iman Beney — YB Frauen | Age 19 | €275k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Sydney Lohmann — Bayern Munich | Age 25 | €400k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Eartha Cumings — Rosengård | Age 26 | €60k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Laura Wienroither — Arsenal | Age 26 | €60k | 230 mins | 0 G+A
🔵 Manchester City Women’s Departures (2025/26)
Aemu Oyama — Rosengård (loan) | Age 20 | €40k | 17 mins | 0 G+A
Jill Roord — Twente | Age 28 | €340k | 1,282 mins | 8 G+A
Laia Aleixandri — Barcelona | Age 24 | €600k | 1,564 mins | 2 G+A
Chloe Kelly — Arsenal | Age 27 | €800k | 677 mins | 5 G+A
📝 Verdict
City’s summer was net negative:
Lost 3,300+ WSL minutes and 15 G+A across Roord, Kelly, and Aleixandri.
Incoming signings are high-profile on paper (Lohmann, Beney, Rose), but they arrive with 0 WSL minutes and represent long-term bets rather than instant production.
Net market value drops by nearly €1m.
➡️ Verdict: Weakened — City traded proven, prime-age performers for potential. The talent is undeniable, but the squad’s short-term output and experience have been reduced.
10. Manchester United
🔴 Manchester United Women’s Arrivals (2025/26)
Julia Zigiotti Olme — Bayern Munich | Age 27 | €100k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Fridolina Rolfö — Barcelona | Age 31 | €450k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
🔴 Manchester United Women’s Departures (2025/26)
Jess Simpson — Southampton | Age 20 | €20k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Alyssa Aherne — Sheffield Utd | Age 21 | €20k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Aoife Mannion — Newcastle | Age 29 | €40k | 278 mins | 1 G+A
Lucy Newell — Birmingham City (loan) | Age 18 | €15k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Emma Watson — Crystal Palace (loan) | Age 19 | €45k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
📝 Verdict
United’s window feels like a bet on experience:
Rolfö and Zigiotti Olme are proven internationals, but arrive with 0 WSL minutes last season, so there’s an adaptation gap to bridge.
Outgoings are mostly youth loans or fringe players, with Mannion (278 mins, 1 G+A) the only notable contributor lost.
Net value jumps +€410k, but WSL minutes drop by 278.
➡️ Verdict: Strengthened (on paper) — United added two Champions League-tested players at the cost of squad depth. If Rolfö adapts quickly, this could be a significant upgrade. Short-term output is roughly flat-to-down until the new signings bed in, but the ceiling rises if Rolfö hits early.
11. Tottenham Hotspur
⚪ Tottenham Hotspur Women — Arrivals (2025/26)
Toko Koga — Feyenoord | Age 19 | €45k | 0 mins | 0 G+A
⚪ Tottenham Hotspur Women — Departures (2025/26)
Rosella Ayane — Free agent | Age 29 | €40k | 49 mins | 0 G+A
Rebecca Spencer — Chelsea | Age 34 | €35k | 720 mins | 0 G+A
📝 Verdict
A quiet and transitional window for Spurs:
Loss of experience: Ayane and Spencer depart, stripping 769 minutes of WSL experience. Spencer’s exit in particular removes a reliable goalkeeper option.
Youthful gamble: Koga (19) is the only addition, with no WSL experience yet.
Net market value falls €30k, while the average age plummets by 12.5 years, signalling a major youth reset.
➡️ Verdict: Weakened — Spurs sacrifice proven minutes and leadership for raw potential. Unless Koga adapts quickly, depth looks thinner than last season.
12. West Ham United
⚒️ West Ham United Women’s Arrivals (2025/26)
Ffion Morgan — Bristol City | Age 25 | €40,000 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Sarah Brasero — Estoril | Age 20 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Selin Cemal — Chelsea U21 | Age 18 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Rebekah Dowsett — Leicester U21 | Age 18 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Yu Endo — Urawa Reds | Age 27 | €0 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
⚒️ West Ham United Women’s Departures (2025/26)
Jessie Stapleton — Nottingham (loan) | Age 20 | €20,000 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Soraya Walsh — Watford (loan) | Age 19 | €15,000 | 0 mins | 0 G+A
Katelin Talbert — Free agent | Age 26 | €35,000 | 37 mins | 0 G+A
Marika Bergman Lundin — Vålerenga | Age 26 | €35,000 | 9 mins | 0 G+A
Shannon Cooke — Birmingham City | Age 25 | €30,000 | 341 mins | 0 G+A
Emma Harries — Southampton | Age 23 | €35,000 | 346 mins | 2 G+A
Kirsty Smith — Nottingham | Age 31 | €30,000 | 652 mins | 1 G+A
Kristie Mewis — Paused | Age 34 | €40,000 | 45 mins | 0 G+A
Dagný Brynjarsdóttir — Free agent | Age 34 | €45,000 | 509 mins | 0 G+A
📝 Verdict
West Ham’s summer window represents a major step back in experience and proven output:
They lost almost 2,000 minutes and 3 G+A, with veterans like Smith, Harries, and Brynjarsdóttir gone.
Incoming players are mostly untested youngsters (Cemal, Dowsett) and a flyer on Yu Endo from Japan.
The squad is now younger but far lighter in top-flight quality.
➡️ Verdict: Weakened — West Ham are betting on raw youth and potential after cutting established players. A risky transition that leaves them vulnerable in the short term.
Conclusion
The WSL summer window leaves us with a reshaped landscape: Liverpool and Manchester City lose proven starters, London City gamble big, while Spurs and West Ham reset with youth-heavy strategies. Across the board, clubs are betting on different formulas — some calculated, some risky.
In value terms, London City (+€950k) and Arsenal (+€595k) stand out as the biggest winners, while Man City (–€985k) and Liverpool (–€340k) shoulder the steepest losses. The overarching trend is clear: WSL clubs are increasingly willing to sacrifice proven domestic minutes for younger, overseas talent — a strategy that could redefine the league’s balance by Christmas.
📖 Missed Part 1? Catch up on Arsenal, Chelsea, Brighton, and more here → Read Part 1 of our WSL 2025/26 Summer Transfers Analysis
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