Chelsea sign USA's Thompson for club record fee
Alyssa Thompson made her senior USA debut against England in 2022
- Published
Women's Super League champions Chelsea have signed USA forward Alyssa Thompson for a club record fee.
The 20-year-old joins from Angel City on a five-year contract.
Chelsea sources say the fee is worth just under £1m.
"Chelsea is such an amazing club, one of the best in the world," Thompson said.
"Being able to play with players that are the best in the world is an amazing opportunity at such a young age, and I want to learn, grow and develop a lot.
"I feel like Chelsea is such an amazing environment to do that in."
Chelsea's previous transfer record was the £900,000 they paid for USA defender Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave in January.
Thompson has scored six goals in 16 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) games this season. She has three goals in 22 games for the USA.
Chelsea striker Mayra Ramirez has been ruled out until January with a hamstring injury, while England forward Lauren James will miss the WSL season opener against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge at 19:30 BST on Friday.
Why is Thompson so highly rated?
Thompson's pedigree has grown immensely since she was selected by Angel City as the first pick in the NWSL draft in 2023 while still at high school.
Angel City paid Portland Thorns and Gotham FC $450,000 (£335,000) to secure the first pick, essentially making Thompson the league's most expensive player, breaking the record set by USA icon Alex Morgan.
It took Thompson only 11 minutes to score on her NWSL debut.
A year later she lined up alongside her sister Gisele, the first time itwo siblings were named in the same starting XI in NWSL history.
They have also featured together for the USA, and Alyssa was part of the squad who won gold at the 2024 Olympic Games under former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes.
Angel City were keen to keep Thompson, who signed a contract extension in January to tie her down until 2028.
That proved to be a vital piece of business for the club, with Chelsea required to pay a bigger fee this summer.
Thompson's biggest trait is her pace. She excelled as a sprinter at school, running 11.69 seconds in the 100m in the California state championships.