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As the women’s game in England continues to grow, so do transfer fees with one Women’s Super League manager describing this summer’s window as “wild” following plenty of big spending. Fifa reported three million US dollars (£2.4m) was spent during the 2023 mid-year transfer window, which was double the amount (£983,000) that women’s clubs outlay across the globe in 2022. While the spending in women’s football is far behind the sums chucked around in the men’s game, the past 12 months in particular has seen spending rise rapidly as more funds are used following a golden period for the Lionesses. The success of Sarina Wiegman’s team at the Euros and this summer’s World Cup has contributed towards the WSL going from strength to strength, with clubs from the division involved in eight of the top-10 transfers in the world. Four of the biggest signings in women’s football occurred this summer with Arsenalreportedly spending more than £300k to sign Australian Kyra Cooney-Cross from Hammarby on transfer deadline day and title rivals Manchester City bringing in Jill Roord from Wolfsburg for a similar amount. Keira Walsh’s £400k move from City to Barcelona last summer remains the record transfer in women’s football, but Arsenal threatened to break that in January when they launched an ambitious attempt to prize away Alessia Russo from Manchester United. United stood strong and turned down a bid close to the £500k mark, but forward Russo signed on a free for Arsenal this summer anyway, with the Gunners not content there and adding World Cup star Cooney-Cross into the mix before they conceded defeat in a pursuit of England goalkeeper Mary Earps. “This has been by far the strongest window for WSL as a league that I have ever experienced,” Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall said. Eidevall is not alone in that assessment and, while City were happy just to bring in Roord, the other members of the big four flexed their muscles. The Red Devils made four signings on transfer deadline day alone, bringing in World Cup golden boot winner Hinata Miyazawa and they shelled out around £250k on Brazil forward Geyse from Barcelona. Chelsea raided France for Ashley Lawrence and Catarina Macario from Paris St Germain and Lyon respectively. Meanwhile, forward Mia Fishel signed from Tigres for in excess of £150k to boost a squad full of stars with Emma Hayes’ side eager to take the final step in the Champions League. Liverpool manager Matt Beard admitted: “You just look at Chelsea’s transfer window and it’s ridiculous. They will have players in there who won’t even be named in their 25-player squad. “We’re still a way from the top teams in regards to expenditure. You just need to look at the Alessia Russo deal and Arsenal looking to spend another record fee on Mary Earps etc. There is still a big gap.” It would be inaccurate to state only the big four were spending in the WSL, though after Tottenham showed their ambition - and fear of relegation - when they parted with £250k to sign Bethany England from Chelsea in January. England immediately flourished, which meant Spurs’ gamble to sign a player for a British record fee paid off after they avoided relegation. The £250k transfer remains the highest between WSL clubs but the other mid-table teams have enjoyed productive summers with Leicester making Janina Leitzig’s move from Bayern Munich permanent. Liverpool broke their club record to bring in forward Sophie Roman Haug, while Brighton convinced two-time Champions League winner Pauline Bremer to swap Wolfsburg for the south coast and Everton made several signings after losing Gabby George to Manchester United in a £150k deadline-day deal. Managerial changes at Tottenham and West Ham saw both make some shrewd additions and newly-promoted Bristol City opted for quantity over quality. Perhaps the winners of the transfer window were Aston Villa, who purchased Ebony Salmon, Adriana Leon and Netherlands stopper Daphne Van Domselaar alongside keeping Rachel Daly. However, Villa boss Carla Ward remains perplexed by the numbers being discussed this summer, even if it shows little sign of slowing. “It’s wild. If you think about a few years ago when players were paying to play and now one transfer of Bethany England going for £250k has inflated everyone’s prices,” Ward explained. “We need to continue to grow off the pitch and transfer fees have to be in line with that. “Some of the transfer fees branded around this summer were quite ridiculous. We got offered a crazy amount for one of our players. “You have gone from your £50k, £60k or £100k bands, to £400k for Keira Walsh which for me is OK because she’s the best midfielder in the world. “But when you’re talking about £400k or £500k for players not at that level, it’s mind-blowing.” Baroness Sue Campbell, the FA director of women’s football, promised some future limits on spending. She said: “The club’s themselves have agreed that we need some cost controls because otherwise, all the money that comes in, ends up getting spent on salaries. “The women’s game requires a lot more investment in infrastructure, a lot more investment in other things.” PA Read More Changes on and off the pitch as a new era approaches for Women’s Super League Aston Villa women ‘dreading’ WSL opener due to ‘wet kit’ design error 5 Women’s Super League players to look out for this season Changes on and off the pitch as a new era approaches for Women’s Super League 5 Women’s Super League players to look out for this season Man City become first WSL club to announce stadium naming rights deal

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If England are to win this World Cup, they will scarcely endure a game as testing or as tense as this. A positive spin on this penalty shoot-out victory over Nigeria is that it could again be the making of them, adding to their resolve, with Chloe Kelly once more offering a decisive kick. A negative is that this should bring a reconsideration about what is possible, especially with the likelihood that Lauren James will miss two games if not all three potential ties left. Her teammates did her a huge favour here. This World Cup still remains as hard to work out as James’ decision to stand on Michelle Alozie in the second half, receiving a red card. England came very close to another surprise elimination as Nigeria proved to be their equals throughout the match. England should have been their superiors, really. The great irony is that the red card almost served England better – at least in this situation. Before then, the system and the set-up had been all wrong, as it clearly didn’t suit the returning Keira Walsh. She picked up another injury during this arduous evening in Brisbane. This strategic misstep meant Nigeria did all the attacking and had all the play. After the red, though, it was as if Randy Waldrum’s side didn’t know how to play against 10 women. Both sides looked like they’d forgotten how to attack. That continued into the shootout as the first two were missed. It was only Bethany England that set things right. For all the criticisms and questions that could come with this game, one element should be noted. It would have been very easy for England to wilt here, especially given the very feel of this World Cup with the United States going out the night before. Instead, there was a mental resolve there, that was clearly set by last summer. It was visible in the penalties too. It does give Sarina Wiegman even more to think about, though. She must reshuffle this team again, accommodating the absence of James – maybe until the final, if England even get that far. Jamaica or Colombia will give Wiegman’s side as tough a test in the quarter-final in Sydney. It is England’s attack – and in fact their very attacking mentality – that now requires the most consideration. England had specifically prepared for Nigeria’s physicality in the tackle, seeking to step off so as not to play that game, but it quickly became apparent this was almost too meek. They were giving up too much space and too many chances. Nigeria had more shots in the first half than any team that Wiegman’s England have faced. One of them was Ashleigh Plumptre’s thunderous strike off the bar, before the former English underage international then forced a scrambled save from Mary Earps. England were looking for that spell of control, but it was almost too methodical, lacking real energy. The strangeness around the penalty decision only added to this. Even if it wasn’t a penalty in the first place, despite the fact there didn’t look to be enough obvious evidence to see it overturned. The referee made the call just as Georgia Stanway was motioning to shoot, making it all the more frustrating for England. This was the story of almost every move forward. It was also the story of Stanway’s penalty later on. James, admittedly, was being superbly shuttled out of the game by Nigeria. That surely led to the frustration she took out later. In the moment, it meant that any time England got forward there were vast differences between their attackers. On the one occasion in the first half when Nigeria’s occasional sloppiness brought a defensive error, Alessia Russo opted to smash the ball when she should have gone with more subtlety. Goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, well off her line, was just waiting to be chipped. She instead got down well to save an effort that should have made it much more difficult for her. Space was so difficult to find for James, however, that she increasingly had to drop back and get the ball. England did gradually solve one issue, mind. For the first half, and going into the second, Nigeria were creating panic every time they got into the box. There was one desperate and defiant block from Jess Carter. There were more than a few moments when the ball could have gone anywhere. That did come with a cost, though. It almost seemed like England were so concerned with Nigeria breaking – especially when the half-fit Asisat Oshoala came on – that they were too reluctant to commit players forward. The wing-backs rarely crossed the halfway line. There were no real chances created. It said much that the best of normal time was a corner, Rachel Daly’s thunderous header just a little too central. Nnadozie still reacted superbly, though. The same, alas, could not be said of James. Alozie’s own reaction said enough. It was almost one of disbelief. She was far from the only person thinking that. The oddity was that the situation served England better. It was as if Nigeria weren’t able to capitalise against 10, especially with the onus now on them. From then, penalties seemed inevitable. England going through certainly didn’t look as inevitable as many would have thought. Read More Lauren James sent off for stamping on opponent during England’s World Cup clash England vs Nigeria LIVE: Score and updates as Women’s World Cup game goes to penalty shootout How ‘arrogance’ and ‘complacency’ led to United States’ decline A timeline of Donald Trump’s spat with Megan Rapinoe How many games will Lauren James miss at Women’s World Cup after red card? Keira Walsh: England’s deep-lying playmaker in profile

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