The summer transfer window for the Women’s Super League (WSL) has officially closed ahead of the 2026-27 season. While the financial figures involved are modest compared to the staggering £3.4 billion spent by Premier League clubs on new signings, the data reveals several noteworthy aspects: identifying which club has enhanced its squad the most, which teams are focusing on continuity, and how the women’s game has outperformed its male counterpart in terms of strategic transfers.
In women’s football, many player transfers occur without publicly disclosed fees, complicating the assessment of player value. Fortunately, Soccerdonna, a division of Transfermarkt dedicated to women’s football, provides estimated market values in euros. This data allows for an analysis of the squad improvements made by various clubs.
Arsenal has made significant strides with new signings valued at a total of €3.9 million, slightly surpassing the €3.5 million worth of players brought in by the London City Lionesses this summer. Notably, the total squad value of eight out of the fourteen teams in the upcoming WSL season falls below these amounts, underscoring the potential impact of these new additions. For instance, London City has acquired two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, whose market value alone stands at €1.15 million, exceeding the entire squad value of Charlton and approaching that of Crystal Palace.
West Ham can also contend that they have improved their lineup significantly, as the combined market value of their new players (€1.02 million) outstrips that of the players retained from last season (€0.96 million). After finishing 10th with only three wins in their first 19 matches, it was clear that the team needed to enhance its performance.
While fans are often more focused on new acquisitions, the departures of key players also play a crucial role in a team’s overall health. This is particularly true for players who made substantial contributions in the previous season. West Ham faced the challenge of replacing players who accounted for 6,322 minutes of playtime in the 2025-26 WSL, representing 29% of their total. Among those departing was goalkeeper Kinga Szemik, who featured in 19 of 22 matches. Only Everton’s Martina Fernández (1,950 minutes) and Charlton’s Keira Flannery (1,891 minutes) logged more minutes than Szemik among those leaving current WSL clubs.
Some teams seem to have learned from the previous year’s experiences. Brighton, for example, lost 9,584 minutes from their 2024-25 squad during the 2025 summer transfer window, resulting in a lower league finish the following season. Liverpool also faced a significant loss of playing time, with departures totaling 6,406 minutes, leading to a sluggish start to their campaign.
Beyond minutes played, the loss of goal contributions can have a more pronounced impact. Manchester City and Aston Villa both saw players leave who had combined for at least 13 goals and assists last season—Kerolin and Kirsty Hanson, respectively. However, the champions, Manchester City, are better positioned to manage such losses compared to Aston Villa, which lost 36.2% of their total goal contributions due to player departures, the highest percentage among WSL teams from the previous season.
In contrast, the Premier League experienced a chaotic transfer deadline day, with nearly one-sixth of player signings occurring on September 1. More than a third of the total transfer fees for the summer were spent after the start of the 2026-27 season.
The WSL, on the other hand, has demonstrated a more systematic approach to transfers. Its window closed before the season commenced, and without the disruptions of a World Cup this summer, the league was able to finalize a substantial number of signings in advance. Whereas the Premier League had completed only 83% of its anticipated signings before the deadline day, the WSL achieved this milestone a month earlier.
The apparent efficiency in the WSL can be attributed to the relative simplicity of lower-value deals. However, FIFA recently reported an 83.6% year-on-year increase in global transfer spending within women’s football, alongside a 75% rise in agent fees incurred by WSL clubs in the year leading up to February 3, 2026. This indicates that, despite the smaller sums involved, the transfer process remains effective as investments in women’s football continue to grow.
While men’s football will always have access to greater financial resources, there are valuable lessons to be learned from the transfer strategies and planning evident in the women’s game.
