What we learned from Naomi Girma’s debut as Chelsea search for final piece | OneFootball

Chelsea are well on their way to a first-ever invincible Women's Super League season, now unbeaten in 15 matches, and show no sign of slowing as they continue to invest record sums in their squad. The £900,000 reportedly spent to bring in Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave made her the most expensive female footballer of all time, but her debut fell well short of its billing as Chelsea drew 2-2 with fifth-place Brighton.

Moving into the starting line-up after recovering from a calf injury sustained before she signed, Girma seemed dazzled by the weight of the occasion, struggling to keep up with the pace and physicality of the game. With 59 minutes on the clock, she went down off the ball nursing her calf and was replaced by Nathalie Bjorn. While Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor confirmed it was only a minor issue, it was a sad end to a challenging debut.

Chelsea supporters had been made to wait an agonising four weeks to see Girma’s name in a starting line-up. It was late January when, ahead of a crucial derby match against Arsenal, the club unveiled their latest starlet in front of a packed Stamford Bridge.

Girma, a 21-year-old centre-back, is the second world-record signing in this Chelsea squad after Mayra Ramirez joined for £450,000 in 2024. Spending so highly on a back line, which before today had only conceded seven league goals, speaks to the club’s intention to set the standard in the women’s game: their sights are set on the Champions League, the only title to have evaded former boss Emma Hayes in her 12 trophy-laden years at the club.

The conversations surrounding Girma’s signing have not reflected particularly well on Chelsea. The gap between the WSL and Championship seems to grow by the day, and the WSL top four look increasingly to be in a league of their own, both financially and competitively. Chelsea’s investment is seen to be fanning the flames. The club, though, are only looking forward.

Girma is seen as one of the final pieces of the puzzle. She is the flagship signing of an unprecedented year of transfers in which Chelsea have added Keira Walsh and Lucy Bronze – who have seven Champions League titles between them – to the squad alongside a crop of prodigious talents from across Europe.

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Chelsea broke the world record fee by signing Naomi Girma (Reuters)

Considered to be among the best defenders in the game, Girma is renowned for her wide passing range, confident dribbling, and astute defensive positioning. She has the endorsement of Hayes, who called her “the best defender I’ve ever seen” after playing every minute of the USA’s gold medal Olympic campaign. As Bompastor looks to shift to a back three, Girma’s skill set is a perfect fit.

Broadfield saw only glimpses of her quality today. Debuts are never easy, and Girma was thrown in at the deep end, playing for a new team, in a new formation, and facing a plucky Brighton side who never go down without a fight. She lined up opposite her former Stanford Cardinal teammate Madison Haley, who seemed intent on making sure her first tastes of WSL action were bitter.

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The 21-year-old found things tough on her Chelsea debut against Brighton (The FA via Getty Images)

Chelsea supporters will, however, cling on to those few morsels of Girma’s quality. She threw her body on the line early in the second half to deny Nikita Parris a certain goal. She looked comfortable on the ball, too, effectively providing a link between defence and midfield. While it is unclear how long she will be sidelined by an aggravated calf injury, there can be no doubt that she will grow into her role as she settles into her new surroundings. Signing on a four-and-a-half-year deal, she can afford to take her time.

Bompastor, the first woman to win the Champions League as both a player and a manager, cut a calm figure post-match, frustrated about the result but not about Girma. To be the most expensive player in the world is a heavy cross to bear, but she expects her new star to bounce back from the shaky debut.

“I am not worried about her,” she said after the match. “You know that [it] is never easy to start with new teammates, as I said in a new league, with a different context. It takes time. She needs to build up and I am confident. She has a lot of quality and will get there.”

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Girma aggravated a calf injury and was subbed off (John Walton/PA Wire)

There is plenty to take in for Girma, who is playing outside of the United States for the first time in her career. The question may be asked, but for Bompastor, there are no regrets about letting her start so soon.

The manager added: “She is learning about the league, learning about the team, [and] her teammates. I think your first game is never easy because it is a competitive league. I think [Haley] had a great game, but I think it was good for us to have [Girma] start this game, building minutes, and being able to play with the team.”