Racheal Kundananji has become the most expensive woman in the history of football, after completing a world-record move from Madrid CFF to National Women’s Soccer League side Bay FC.
The Zambian also becomes the first African, male or female, to break the world transfer record and moves to the US after a prolific spell in Spain.
Following the record-breaking move, we’ve ranked the five most expensive transfers in women’s football history.
Most expensive transfers in women’s football history:
5. Lindsey Horan – Portland Thorns to Lyon (£258,000)
Lyon spent big to bring Lindsey Horan back to French football in 2023, after an impressive loan spell at the club.
Horan had scored 46 goals in 58 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain before a return to the USA, where she was named as the NWSL Most Valuable Player at Portland Thorns in 2018.
The versatile attacker, who won the Women’s World Cup with the USA in 2019, has won two the Division 1 Féminine, two Coupe de France Feminine, and the UEFA Women’s Champions League since joining Lyon.
4. Jill Roord – Wolfsburg to Manchester City (£300,000)
Manchester City agreed a deal to sign Dutch international Jill Roord from Vfl Wolfsburg last summer. The 26-year-old, who previously spent two seasons at Arsenal, had scored 31 goals in 69 appearances for Wolfsburg before her club-record return to England.
The midfielder – who has 96 caps for the Netherlands national team – made an impressive start with The Citizens, scoring six times in 11 WSL appearances, before sustaining an ACL injury that curtailed her campaign in January 2024.
3.. Kiera Walsh – Manchester City to Barcelona (£400,000)
Kiera Walsh became the most expensive women’s footballer of all time after leaving Manchester City to sign for Barcelona.
The 25-year-old had been one of the stars the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 success on home soil, earning inclusion in the Team of the Tournament. Walsh’s first season in Barcelona also ended in silverware success, as the Catalans won a Liga F, Supercopa de España Femenina and UEFA Women’s Champions League treble.
2. Mayra Ramirez – Levante to Chelsea (£426,000)
Mayra Ramirez became the world’s most expensive women’s footballer in January 2024, after completing a move from Levante to Chelsea.
The Colombian centre-forward scored 20 goals in 34 Liga F appearances for Levante, to earn a £426,000 move to the Women’s Super League champions. Ramirez opened her goalscoring account for the club in style with a clever flicked finish in the FA Cup win over Crystal Palace.
MAYRA RAMIREZ THAT IS WORLD CLASS ????
The @ChelseaFCW star scores her first goal for the Blues with an audacious flick on her #AdobeWomensFACup debut ???? pic.twitter.com/WIZ2oyx7Dj
— Adobe Women’s FA Cup (@AdobeWFACup) February 11, 2024
1. Racheal Kundananji – Madrid CFF to Bay FC (£625,000)
Racheal Kundananji has broken Ramirez’s short-lived record after moving to Bay FC for a world-record sum.
The Zambian forward scored 25 goals for Madrid CFF last season, the second-highest total in the league behind Levante’s Alba Redondo (27). The capture of Kundananji is a coup for Bay FC, an expansion side in the USA who are preparing for their debut NWSL campaign.
Kundananji’s fee also demonstrates the rising funds involved in the women’s game, with a huge 56.25% increase on the record fee that took Walsh to Barcelona only 18 months ago.
A world-record fee ????
Bay FC have signed Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji from Madrid CFF for a reported £625,000 ✍#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/NF4evKK7GB
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 13, 2024
“Every place that I’ve been to, I always take something from there; I learn something from there,” Kundananji told The Equalizer when discussing her move.
“Good or bad, to me it’s a good experience because you have to experience something to know something. I’m looking [forward] to having a great time in the U.S., have a great time with the team. Now, Bay FC is my new family.”
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