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ESPN- Jeff Kassouf covers women's soccer for ESPN, focusing on the USWNT and NWSL. In 2009, he founded The Equalizer, a women's soccer news outlet, and he previously won a Sports Emmy at NBC Sports and Olympics.
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Correspondent- Based in London, Emily Keogh is ESPN's women's soccer correspondent, specializing in the WSL and UWCL
U.S. women's national team forward Alyssa Thompson is officially a Chelsea player after completing a transfer from Angel City FC in the final hours before England's transfer deadline on Thursday.
Thompson's move from her hometown National Women's Soccer League team to the six-time defending English champions was one of the most expensive transfers in women's soccer to date. The ramifications of it, however, stretch far beyond the financial.
Is it a good move for Thompson's career? What will she bring to Chelsea? How bad is the situation for Angel City after losing Thompson? And is this really an problem for the NWSL at large?
Let's break it all down.
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A European dream come true -- and a USWNT boost, too
Thompson told Chelsea's website that she "[knew] in my heart" that she wanted to join the club after speaking with USWNT and former Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes. It's clear that this was the move Thompson wanted, and ultimately a player needs to be in an environment where she is happy.
At Angel City, Thompson was their best player, able to stay close to come-and-suit-up alongside her younger sister. But Angel City remains stuck in the middle of the table in the NWSL and continues to struggle with consistency.
Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC) with a Spectacular Goal vs. Seattle Reign FC, 03/31/2025
Thompson will not immediately or automatically be Chelsea's best player, and that is likely part of her "why" for leaving. At Chelsea, the 20-year-old will be challenged daily in training by some of the world's top players. She will still play regularly difficult league games, and she will also help Chelsea try to win that elusive UEFA Women's Champions League title.
All of those things will expose Thompson to new playing styles and challenges. That should be good for her, which means it's good for the USWNT, too. -- Jeff Kassouf
Thompson's new challenge at Chelsea
Chelsea's signing of Thompson is another example of the club's relentless drive to sign the next generation of elite talent. While her 22 international caps place her firmly in the here and now rather than just the future, the move is a reflection of the club's "Vision 2030" strategy: bring in the best and brightest young players across the globe.
At just 20, Thompson fits that profile to perfection. With Mayra RamÃrez sidelined until 2026 by a hamstring injury, Chelsea's push to sign her was both a statement of intent and a practical necessity. She's signed for five years, with Chelsea having high hopes for her ceiling.
Chelsea already boasts a squad purpose-built for winning titles, stacked with depth and world-class quality across every position. Adding Thompson, arguably one of the highest-rated young American players, only reinforces that strength.
Yet for all their domestic dominance, the one prize that has eluded the club is the Champions League, dating back to Emma Hayes' 12-year tenure (2012-24) and Sonia Bompastor's debut season ending the same way, a crushing loss against Barcelona in the semifinals, as it did the two seasons before. Determined to clear that final hurdle, Chelsea reinforced in key positions, building a squad even more capable of competing for a quadruple across the WSL, domestic cups, and Europe's biggest stage.
Thompson's ambition matches that of the club, too. "One, to win the Champions League," she told club media, when asked about main aims for the future. "Two, I hope I develop a lot as a player, learn from the veterans on the team, and get their insight on things so that I can grow each year and become a better player. And third ... win. A lot."
But with that ambition comes Thompson's biggest challenge. It will be no easy feat to break into a side where even world-class players fight for minutes. At Angel City, she was a face of the franchise, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, and a hometown star. At Chelsea, she enters a forward line already boasting Sam Kerr, Lauren James and Catarina Macario, all established and deeply ingrained in the Blues' system.
Emily Keogh talks about USWNT forward Alyssa Thompson's potential move to Chelsea from Angel City.
Thompson's versatility is both her strength and, potentially, her biggest hurdle to regular playing time. She can feature wide or centrally, giving Bompastor options to experiment with her role. However, Chelsea already have several players of similar age and profile -- James, Maika Hamano and Wieke Kaptein, to name just three -- who have earned trust in the system and may initially be ahead of her in the rotation. Players who move too often between positions can struggle to claim one as their own, risking the fate of becoming a utility option off the bench rather than a cornerstone starter.
Thompson's task will be to show Bompastor where she belongs in this Chelsea side, lock down that role, and then use her versatility as an added asset rather than a crutch. Oh, and she'll have to do all of that while adapting to a move abroad, a highly competitive domestic league and a challenge of the newly restructured Champions League, which will be unlike any other competition she's ever faced, even having gone to the 2023 World Cup.
If she succeeds, Thompson could become a defining piece in Chelsea's bid to finally win in Europe and add more silverware to an already glittering trophy cabinet. If not, the gamble of trading star status in Los Angeles for fierce competition in London could prove costly. -- Emily Keogh
A huge setback for Angel City (and the NWSL)
There is no other way to look at Thompson's departure than a major step backwards for Angel City. Thompson was a No. 1 draft pick who was born and raised in Los Angeles. She was the face of the Angel City franchise, the main building block in a rebuild that was only just getting started. The dynamic forward was the best American forward in the NWSL this season.
And then, she was gone.
Chelsea's payment for Thompson fell below the previously established world record of $1.5 million. Angel City might have lost leverage in the negotiations since Thompson wanted to go to Chelsea, but the fact that the fee was not astronomical made the optics worse for the NWSL side.
Thompson had just signed a long-term contract extension in January, with everything about this departure feeling abrupt. For Angel City, that has short- and long-term implications.
In the short term, Angel City is now in the thick of the playoff race without their star player. She can't be replaced immediately (if at all) because the NWSL's inbound transfer window has closed already -- and before this deal began to pick up steam. Angel City could make an intra-league trade, but the team almost certainly won't be able to do so for someone of comparable talent.
Yes, Angel City will have transfer funds to work with in the winter. Maybe they will use the funds to bring in several new players to deepen the roster.
This transfer, however, isn't measured in dollars or pounds. The exchange rate is really the optics -- and they are bad for Angel City and, by extension, the NWSL. Former USWNT teammate Alex Morgan, now an investor in the San Diego Wave, recently told ESPN she isn't worried about so many top American stars like Thompson leaving the NWSL for Europe, but it's not ideal for the league either. -- Kassouf