Alyssa Thompson’s soccer career will continue in London as a member of the Chelsea Football Club.
For Angel City FC’s No. 1 overall draft in the 2023 NWSL draft, the transfer fee wasn’t reported, but reports have it from anywhere from $1.3 million to $1.5 million, with potential add-ons to increase the fee to Angel City.
“Chelsea is such an amazing club, one of the best in the world,” Thompson told ChelseaFC.com. “Being able to play with players that are the best in the world is an amazing opportunity at such a young age and I want to learn, grow and develop a lot. I feel like Chelsea is such an amazing environment to do that in.”
In an Instagram post, she said her goodbye to L.A.: “From the beginning, it has been my dream to play for my hometown of L.A. I can’t begin to express my gratitude to the organization for taking a chance on me out of high school …. Transitions are always difficult. As I push myself outside of my comfort zone, in order to be the best player I can be, this opportunity to join Chelsea was something I couldn’t pass up. It’s going to be new and different, but that’s where growth comes from.”
Last week, reports out of London said Chelsea was interested in signing Thompson. Then she was left off Angel City’s gameday roster for Monday’s game, adding even more fuel to the speculation.
Wednesday, the next step was taken as she traveled to London. The transfer deadline for the Women’s Soccer League was 3 p.m. Thursday and the move was finalized with an hour to spare.
Thompson has signed through 2030 and will wear No. 12. The new WSL season kicked off Friday.
“We thank Alyssa for her contributions to Angel City and are grateful for the mark she has left on our team and the city of Los Angeles,” the club said in a statement. “While we respect her decision to leave, Angel City’s focus remains firmly on building a championship-winning club. Under the leadership of our head coach Alex Straus, we are committed to our current roster, investing in our future, and showing up for our incredible supporters and community.”
The highest confirmed transfer fee in women’s soccer is $1.5 million, which the Orlando Pride paid Tigres (Mexico) recently for Lizbeth Ovalle.
Thompson, a Harvard-Westlake grad, bypassed Stanford to turn professional. Angel City had to buy the No. 1 draft pick, sending a combined $450,000 in two trades. The end result was the club making Thompson the youngest player selected in NWSL history.
On draft night, she was confident in either decision, going professional or college:
“I could see myself in any decision that I would have made,” she said then. “When I made the decision (to turn pro), I just wanted to go all in. I know that this was the right decision for me and I’m super-excited to get started and be with the team.”
It was the perfect match as the hometown product signed with the local team, inspiring young players and filling out BMO Stadium in No. 21 jerseys.
In her rookie season, Thompson made 21 appearances, adding four goals and two assists. Last season, she played in all 26 games, scoring five goals and adding seven assists.
This season, she was off to another strong start with six goals in 16 games.
In January, she signed a three-year contract extension through 2028 with Angel City. Her younger sister, Gisele, signed a two-year contract extension, also through 2028.
“Alyssa and Gisele are very important for our club’s future, but also for the success of our league,” ACFC Sporting Director Mark Parsons said at the time of the contract extensions. “Mark Wilson and Matt Wade did a great job to make sure both want to be here and we are thrilled that they are staying home in L.A. for four more years. Alyssa and Gisele both have world-class potential for both club and country and we look forward to continuing to support their growth and development on and off the pitch.”
It has been a few weeks of departures for Angel City and coach Alex Straus, who took over in June. Last month, Katie Zelem and Alanna Kennedy were transferred to London City Lionesses and Julie Dufour was traded to the Portland Thorns.
Angel City returns to action Sunday on the road against Gotham FC.
Thompson becomes the third USWNT player to land at Chelsea, following Naomi Girma and Cat Macario. Mia Fishel, who is from San Diego and attended UCLA, recently left to join the Seattle Reign in the NWSL.
