USA star Rose Lavelle acquired by OL Reign ahead of expected Man City move
OL Reign announced Sunday they have acquired American star Rose Lavelle in a trade with the Washington Spirit in exchange for a natural first round draft pick in the 2022 NWSL College Draft, $100,000 in allocation money and additional allocation money conditioned upon Lavelle’s future playing status in the National Women’s Soccer League.
The Seattle-area club said the agreement was made with the understanding the 25-year-old central midfielder “is expected to sign an agreement to play outside the NWSL with immediate effect”, meaning the Spirit will be compensated for her departure while the Reign will control her rights if she decides to return to the NWSL in the future.
Lavelle, who has won 35 caps for the US women’s national team and scored 12 international goals, has been in talks to join Manchester City of the FA Women’s Super League, who last week signed fellow American star Sam Mewis. The Athletic reported late Sunday that Lavelle’s one-year contract with City is “officially a go” with a formal announcement to follow this week.
The Cincinnati native was the breakout star of last year’s World Cup, starting six of her team’s seven matches, scoring three goals and winning the Bronze Ball as the third-best player in the competition behind team-mate Megan Rapinoe and England’s Lucy Bronze. Her left-footed strike in the final against the Netherlands to seal her country’s fourth world championship was hailed as an instant classic.
A stylish playmaker adept at breaking opponents’ back lines with her creativity, vision and technical skill, Lavelle made 21 appearances across all competitions in three seasons with Washington while battling frequent hamstring injuries, most recently helping the club to the quarter-finals of the NWSL Challenge Cup.
“Our project with OL Reign is ambi
tious, which requires taking smart, strategic risks to achieve our objectives,” OL Reign head coach Farid Benstiti said in a statement. “We all know that Rose is a special player, so for me this is a chance we had to take. I very much hope that we will have the chance to work with Rose in the future, and I am excited about supporting her as she works to achieve her destiny as one of the best players in the world.”
Lavelle’s agent did not immediately reply to a request for comment from the Guardian.