Liverpool’s Olivia Smith coup, Aston Villa reset, however can Tottenham adapt with out Grace Clinton, Package Graham and Celin Bizet Ildhusoy? – WSL speaking factors | Soccer Information

Liverpool break membership file for Olivia Smith

Liverpool have confirmed as soon as once more that they don’t seem to be afraid to splash the money. After forking out £100,000 for Sophie Roman Haug final summer time, this yr they paid a club-record £210,000 to Sporting Lisbon for 19-year-old Olivia Smith.

So what makes the attacking midfielder well worth the cash? After one season in Portugal, Smith was vote because the league’s Participant of the Yr and Younger Participant of the Season, scoring 13 targets in 18 appearances.

She can also be the youngest ever participant to play for Canada – doing so at aged 15 in 2019 – and featured finally summer time’s Girls’s World Cup.

Smith has the potential to be a star, and was Liverpool’s most important goal this summer time. Having the ability to not solely persuade her to affix, but additionally to afford to signal the midfielder is an actual assertion of intent from a workforce who’ve aspirations to interrupt the WSL’s high three.

No Clinton, Graham or Bizet for Tottenham

Tottenham should present their evolution this season – particularly with out Grace Clinton and Package Graham.

Regardless of desirous to re-sign Clinton after a breakout mortgage season, the midfielder opted to remain at Manchester United. She scored 4 targets and registered 4 assists in 20 WSL appearances for Spurs, and her standout performances noticed her clinch a beginning spot for England.

Tottenham had been dealt one other blow too when Graham suffered an ACL damage, which means she is going to miss many of the 2024/25 marketing campaign having performed 18 WSL video games final season.

A phrase too on Celin Bizet Ildhusoy, who additionally moved to Man Utd this summer time. Her reference to Clinton was key for Spurs’ creativity final season.

Tottenham have made some good summer time signings, together with the likes of Hayley Raso, Clare Hunt and Amanda Nilden, which can hopefully go a way in changing the absent Clinton and Graham.

A constructive summer time for Aston Villa

It has been a summer time reset for Aston Villa. Some could have anxious when Carla Ward introduced her departure, however the incoming Robert de Pauw brings bundles of expertise from teaching on the continent. It may show to be a shrewd appointment.

And the indications over the previous couple of months have been constructive. Villa had been unbeaten in pre-season – together with a 2-1 win in opposition to Manchester Metropolis – and have made some spectacular signing.

Katie Robinson and Missy Bo-Kearns are regulars within the England senior and U21 squads, whereas Miri Taylor has signed completely from Liverpool after her mortgage spell. The Deadline Day affirmation of Gabi Nunes is thrilling too, with the Brazilian serving to her nation to a silver medal at Paris 2024.

Final season was disappointing for Villa after a profitable 2022/23 marketing campaign, however the membership look to be again on the precise path.

Fran Kirby 2.0 at Brighton

It will likely be unusual to see Fran Kirby in a Brighton shirt. A reputation synonymous with the well-known Chelsea blue, she now finds herself on the south coast as a brand new period in her profession begins.

It’s spectacular for the Seagulls to draw a participant of Kirby’s calibre, particularly when a raft of expertise departed this summer time.

“I wanted to go somewhere where I could keep my standards up and help bring those standards into another club,” Kirby mentioned.

“I needed to remain on this league as a result of I nonetheless need to be competing week in and week out and so long as I can assist a workforce progress then that is what I need to do.

“When I spoke to Brighton and they told me how the owner was behind the women’s game, how much they wanted to invest in it and push it forwards and seeing the facilities here, for me it was a really exciting opportunity and one that I felt I couldn’t really turn down.”

As one in every of England’s greatest ever gamers, Kirby nonetheless has a lot to supply and with one other Euros squad looming subsequent summer time, she will probably be hoping to affect each Brighton and the Lionesses’ fortunes together with her transfer.

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Have West Ham changed the standard of their outgoing gamers?

It has been a busy summer time at West Ham. Some key first workforce gamers like Mackenzie Arnold, Hawa Cissoko and Risa Shimizu have left the membership, however there have been strikes to exchange them.

Maybe probably the most secret is the everlasting signing of Shelina Zadorsky from Tottenham, who has been named as vice captain behind new membership skipper Katrina Gorry.

Let’s not neglect too that Gorry and Kristie Mewis – who had been each big-name January signings – stay with the membership, now having had a full pre-season to embed within the squad.

Summer time signings have centered largely on youth. Half of the them are beneath 24, and many of the 10 new signings lack WSL expertise. Mortgage signing Li Mengwen, becoming a member of for the season from Brighton, provides some alongside Zadorsky, though she solely performed in 11 league video games final season.

Rehanne Skinner is among the most skilled WSL coaches left within the league, however she has a giant activity on her palms to maintain West Ham aggressive this season.

Can new Leicester supervisor Miquel convey stability?

Since their promotion in 2021, Leicester haven’t gone by way of a season with one supervisor. Jonathan Morgan, who noticed Leicester to the Championship title, made method for Lydia Bedford of their first marketing campaign.

Lower than a yr later, she was changed by then-director of soccer Willie Kirk. He was suspended after which ultimately sacked in March after a relationship emerged between the supervisor and a Leicester participant. Jennifer Foster and Emile Heskey have been a few of the coaches to take interim cost.

New Foxes boss Amandine Miquel will hoping to convey the identical stability that she did at Reims, the place she coached for numerous years. She led the French facet to their first promotion and into the latter phases of cup competitions.

Leicester have additionally signed some thrilling expertise this summer time, and the Foxes arguably have a squad that has underachieved. Good performances, maybe some statements wins and mid-table needs to be their goal after failing to achieve above tenth since their promotion, which isn’t a shock given the instability off the pitch.

Will Everton push on beneath Sorensen?

It has been a few detached seasons beneath Brian Sorensen. Everton have completed sixth and eighth within the WSL beneath the Dane, with out too many fireworks.

It’s possible that off-field points across the possession of the membership and factors deductions for the boys’s facet could have had an influence, however the ladies’s workforce have their very own aggressive aspirations.

Sorensen signed a brand new two-year deal in April and barely have Everton been dragged into relegation hazard with him. Nonetheless, many within the membership – possible the supervisor and gamers too – will need to push on additional.

Maybe a run in cup competitions is an efficient place to start out, and there was astute summer time recruitment, because the Toffees seems in the direction of a profitable 2024/25 marketing campaign.

Can Crystal Palace keep away from relegation?

It is the largest query for any newly-promoted facet. With it being their first season within the WSL, Crystal Palace will probably be among the many contenders to battle relegation.

However the Eagles have introduced in gamers with WSL expertise equivalent to Josie Inexperienced, Shae Yanez and Katrine Veje, together with some promising children.

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They might want to share their information amongst a workforce with loads of Championship nous, however little in England’s high flight. The step up is large, however different groups have confirmed that being the WSL beginner would not all the time imply an instantaneous relegation.

The likes of Liverpool, Aston Villa and Leicester have all been promoted lately and are actually aggressive WSL groups. Crystal Palace can study classes from them and hope to safe their very own future within the league.