WSL attracting the world’s best but cost proves a mystery
Salaries and transfer fees lack transparency, report Molly Mcelwee and Katie Whyatt
The Women’s Super League is fast becoming the ultimate destination in women’s football, with international players increasingly tempted by the English premier division and top clubs beating European rivals to sign the game’s best.
But good luck finding out any details on transfers beyond which club did the signing. Such is the lack of transparency in women’s football that, when contacted by The Daily Telegraph, the Football Association was unable to provide transfer data that separated WSL and Championship sides. One is a league of full-time professionals, the other mostly part-time players.
Little is known of the most high-profile deal of recent times: marquee Chelsea signing Sam Kerr. Considered by many to be the best in the world, the Australian forward was reportedly courted by Barcelona, PSG and Lyon before choosing London in November.
Fifa’s latest Global Transfer Market report revealed that only $652,032 (£494,000) was spent on transfer fees in the women’s game in 2019, so, very little cash is changing hands between clubs. Less than four per cent of the 833 global transfers in 2019 involved a fee and 86 per cent involved an out-of-contract player. Kerr was one such example, and an agent revealed it is not uncommon in women’s football given clubs’ limited finances: “If you’re Tottenham and you can’t buy your players a fridge, you’re not going to be paying transfer fees, are you?”
Another agent said: “There’s not enough finance within the game, still, to generate a transfer fee figure that will entice. I think you’re more likely to see players sign a contract whereby they’ve got enough flexibility for the term to expire. Clubs aren’t earning millions from TV broadcasting revenues to buy players.”
That agent had seen six-figure fees, but only for high-profile WSL players moving abroad. On average, fees paid in England are “between £20,000 and £60,000”.
Mystery also surrounds salaries. While WSL side Liverpool are reportedly offering just £20,000 per annum, one agent says players at the top three WSL clubs earn up to £150,000 – a three-fold increase on what they might have earned prior to the WSL restructure in 2018. An increase in options – between Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City domestically, and Lyon, PSG and Juventus abroad – has given the WSL’S best players greater power to negotiate improved salaries. At some clubs, however, negotiations are like “pulling teeth”, an agent said.
They said this situation extended to Championship sides too. One agent claims players at London City Lionesses were offered contracts well below minimum wage when the club went professional last season: “[Lionesses] were offering £12,000, £14,000 saying, ‘Don’t worry we don’t start training until 2-8pm, so you can work in the morning’. That’s not pro then, is it?” When approached by The Telegraph, London City would not comment on the salaries quoted.
And yet players are flocking to the English leagues. Fifa’s report found that in 2019 the FA saw international transfers increase by nearly 40 per cent on the previous year, with only the US and Spain attracting more players. The WSL saw four Matildas alone sign deals this winter, Caitlin Foord for Arsenal the final signing of the window. It is a trend, a source said, that was due to the physical demands Australians experience playing in both the NWSL in the US and the W-league back home, with just two weeks off a year. But something more must be keeping players keen on the WSL. Steph Houghton committed herself to Manchester City until 2022 last week, and Fifa’s report shows that is a trend, with fewer leaving England than leagues in France, Spain, Germany or Italy. It is in contrast to the trend in 2017 and 2018, when England internationals Lucy Bronze, Eniola Aluko, Toni Duggan, Mary Earps and Izzy Christiansen left for the continent.
Christiansen returned to Everton last month, while Bronze recently said she would like to return to the WSL at some point.
One agent said the biggest pull of the WSL was the competitive spread of clubs. “There was that big Lyon rush, but the reality of it is, is that league that competitive?” they said. “Our league is more competitive and growing.”
Just do not ask what the players are going for.