The transfer agreement is for $1.1 million, according to The Athletic, the highest fee ever commanded for a transfer in the women's game. Girma, 24, was under contract with the Wave until 2026. She drew interest from French club Lyon and Arsenal in the Women's Super League.

Girma grew up in San Jose and attended Pioneer high school before becoming a standout at Stanford. She was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NWSL draft, and has won the league’s defender of the year award in each of her first two seasons.

Chelsea has stuck a deal to acquire San Diego Wave and U.S. defender Naomi Girma, a person with knowledge of the transfer agreement told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the transfer,