London City Lionesses have broken the world record for a women’s football transfer by signing France midfielder Grace Geyoro from Paris Saint-Germain for €1.65m (£1.43m), the Guardian understands. The deal was completed just before the Women’s Super League transfer window closed at 11pm BST on Thursday.
Geyoro, 28, becomes the third player to break the world record in the women’s game in less than two months, following Olivia Smith’s £1m move from Liverpool to Arsenal and Lizbeth Ovalle’s $1.5m (£1.1m) transfer to Orlando Pride. London City’s spending power comes from owner Michele Kang, who also owns Lyon and Washington Spirit.
The club have made a flurry of big-name signings since promotion to the WSL, including Daniëlle van de Donk, Nikita Parris, and Lucía Corrales. Manchester United manager Marc Skinner described the fee as “crazy” and said his club cannot currently compete at that level. “There’ll be pressure on London City now to deliver,” he added.
A spokesperson for London City denied the reported fee was accurate, and the club are understood to dispute the world-record claim. PSG thanked Geyoro, saying she had “left an indelible mark on the history” of the club.
