The Premier League may have lacked big-name transactions, but the WSL saw one of its largest transfers in history.
Chelsea Women made headlines just days before the WSL deadline when they signed Colombian attacker Mayra Ramirez for £384,000, setting a new British transfer record.
Ramirez, 24, has 30 international caps, helping her country reach the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Cup, and scored 32 club goals.
But the question remains: did Chelsea really need her?
Fara Williams, England’s most capped player of all time, believes otherwise.
The former Lioness, who has previously played for Arsenal, Liverpool, and Everton, joined former teammate Lianne Sanderson on talkSPORT’s Women’s Football Show to discuss Ramirez’s surprising signing.
Williams, who made 177 appearances for England, questioned the record-breaking move.
“I’m not sure (Chelsea needed a player like that),” she went on to say. “I’m not sure she’s the ideal replacement for Sam Kerr in the short term.”
Kerr, a Chelsea striker, will miss the remainder of the season after injuring her ACL during a pre-season training camp in Morocco.
There are concerns that the Australian, who has 58 goals in 75 Chelsea games, may have played her final minutes as a Blue, given that her contract expires this summer.
But if Kerr signs a new contract, Williams told talkSPORT that Chelsea’s abundance of talented forwards might make it extremely tough for Ramirez to gain a regular spot in the starting lineup.
It would be a difficult scenario for a player who had recently set a new British transfer record.
Williams asked, “Will she still play alongside Sam Kerr if Kerr signs a new contract after this year, when she returns from an ACL?”
“How (will) that look for her as a player fighting in this Chelsea team?”
It would be difficult to argue that Chelsea has faced many challenges this season.
They lead the WSL, have advanced to the Champions League knockout stages after going undefeated in their group, and appear well set to defend their FA Cup crown.
Furthermore, Kerr isn’t the only striker Ramirez will have to fight with for minutes.
Williams explained that Chelsea’s recent recruitment has left them with plenty of attacking options.
She stated, “(Mia) Fishel can play up there, and I believe she adds a different dimension when they play.
“Play into her; she’s really good at keeping the ball, and players can work off of her, which Chelsea has never been able to do previously.
“Lauren James as a false nine, Fran Kirby who for whatever reason isn’t really playing that much at Chelsea – I know she played at the weekend against Brighton, but if they can get her playing regularly I think she’s a good enough replacement, between her and James.”
Lionesses James and Kirby are two of Chelsea’s biggest talents, and it would take a lot of talent to keep them out of any starting lineup.
Despite being only 22 years old, James has already taken the domestic and international worlds by storm.
In January, she scored two consecutive WSL hat-tricks against Liverpool and Manchester United, with the promise of more to come.
Meanwhile, Kirby, the team’s all-time leading scorer, has had a difficult few years due to injuries, but she will be looking to return to her previous form.
At her peak, she was a key member of England’s Euro 2022-winning group.
With such a wealth of options, it’s surprising that manager Emma Hayes elected to bolster their ranks even further.
However, after 12 years as Chelsea manager, Hayes will leave at the end of the season to take on a new challenge as manager of the United States Women’s National Team.
It’s no secret that she wants to go out on a high.
Chelsea are currently on track to achieve something only one English team has done before: win the quadruple.
No team has won the WSL, League Cup, FA Cup, and Champions League in the same season since Arsenal in 2006/7.
Hayes and the Blues will be desperate to change this.
Williams noted that the demands of these four grueling contests may have persuaded Chelsea to bring in the additional ammunition that Ramirez could provide.
She stated, “Perhaps Emma (Hayes) is considering squad depth, and who knows what Ramirez can do?
“But that’s a heavy price tag on her shoulders to be coming in and not do what Sam Kerr did, but certainly get some goals which Chelsea are going to need if they’re going to compete.”
