The 2026 winter transfer window for the Women’s Super League (WSL) begins on Jan. 2 and ends on Feb. 3, but what do teams need to do?
Manchester City have set the pace and lead the table by six points as we head into the winter break, with action set to resume on Jan. 10, while Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United have work to do to catch them. So here’s a team-by-team roundup of what each WSL side will be targeting when the window opens.
Manchester City
Having had their best start to the season, City do not need to do much. New manager Andree Jeglertz will have a better understanding of what the team needs now, after he arrived in the summer, so could look to strengthen their position. City are certainly keen on bringing in a defensive midfielder to provide a rotation option for Japan star Yui Hasegawa, who the team rely on heavily.
Up front, there are no problems in attack. City have scored 32 goals so far, six more than Man United, but the producer of 12 of those goals, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, is out of contract in the summer. The prolific Jamaica international has been at the club since 2021 and recently scored her 100th goal for the club, so getting her to sign a long-term contract has to be Man City’s primary focus. City have already extended the contracts of Hasegawa (2029), defender Alex Greenwood (2027), and winger Lauren Hemp (2027), so Shaw is next to come.
Chelsea
There are not many areas Chelsea need to strengthen, but a primary focus will be on getting key players whose contracts are nearing expiration to sign up. They’ve already implemented long-term agreements with many of their new additions over the past 18 months, but key figures like Aggie Beever-Jones, Lucy Bronze and Sam Kerr are all out of contract soon.
With defender Nathalie Björn and attacker Beever-Jones suffering injuries, some cover could arrive, but the club have profound depth and any short-term issues can be easily handled in-house. The club’s plans to build for the future have been effective, with several young players likely to head out on loan to develop further, which does room for one or two new faces. But Chelsea aren’t expected to be very active in this window.
Arsenal
The reigning European champions have a lot of work to do in this window to try to salvage their season. With an eight-point gap to league-leaders City and a Champions League playoff against OH Leuven to contend with, some depth is needed in key areas. A backup goalkeeper is needed, with Manuela Zinsberger out due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury; a right back to rotate with Emily Fox could arrive in the shape of Hammarby IF and Sweden international full back Smilla Holmberg, who is 19; a young central defender could also be a key addition as Katie Reid is injured; and some depth in midfield will also be required.
The issue is that, despite adding £1 million winger Olivia Smith, 21, to the fold last summer, Arsenal are still heavily reliant on older players and have the highest average XI age in the WSL (28 years and 13 days.) After struggling to bed in some of their young stars — such as Kyra Cooney-Cross, Victoria Pelova and Laia Codina — the team risk losing them if they don’t sign new contracts and there could be a significant exodus across the whole squad in the summer.
While some fans may welcome a change, any large-scale rotation means things will always get worse before they get better. The contract of Champions League-winning coach Renee Slegers is also up in the summer, so the future direction of the club will be determined in the coming months too.
Manchester United
Man United need depth. Their UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign will continue into the knockout-phase playoffs against Atletico Madrid, and they are pushing Arsenal and Chelsea close in the race to finish in the WSL top three. But they did not do enough business in the summer (making only three signings) to compete on multiple fronts and, with forward Celin Bizet unavailable after announcing her pregnancy, this January will be arguably the most pivotal window for the club yet.
United have already been linked with Bayern Munich striker Lea Schüller and San Diego Wave full back Hanna Lundkvist, who recently announced her exit from the NWSL club. But the team desperately need cover at center back, as they only have three options there.
The squad’s average age could also do with lowering, and signing some younger options who are yet to hit their prime would help them grow in the future. What they really need to do is think hard about players who will improve them and avoid making emergency moves when the squad gets too thin.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs got ahead of their rivals and moved early to agree the reported club-record signing of Norwegian next-gen talent Signe Gaupset from Brann in December. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder is regarded very highly and will certainly help the club push for a top-four spot with her creative skills.
After a dismal 11th-place finish last season, Spurs look much better this season under new manager Martin Ho and he brought in some key talent over the summer, such as Cathinka Tandberg. With more time to form his squad, there will likely be some exits in January as the team look to make space for players that better suit Ho’s style.
Spurs need a bit of depth after injuries hit them hard and are keen to bring in Chelsea midfielder Maika Hamano, who has struggled for game time, on loan. They will also need a winger to help replace England’s Jessica Naz after she picked up an ACL injury.
London City Lionesses
First, they need a manager. London City dramatically sacked Jocelyn Precheur at the end of December after a pretty decent run in their debut WSL season that took them to sixth before the winter break. Precheur had earned them promotion from the Championship after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2024, and was well-liked and respected by the team, though the club clearly thought that it was the best time for a change ahead of the second half of the season after losses to Brighton and Leicester City.
The newly promoted side spent around £3 million in the summer, including a world-record £1.4 million move to bring in midfielder Grace Geyoro from PSG, but some key depth issues remain. The side could do with a goalkeeper, as they have conceded the third-most goals in the WSL, and eight of their squad are over the age of 30, so it would be beneficial to bring in some younger talent while they have experienced players to learn from.
Brighton & Hove Albion
With Arsenal loanee Michelle Agyemang suffering an ACL injury while on England duty, Brighton need a striker to cover her absence. Though Kiko Seike has done well, scoring four goals in 11 games, some depth in attack wouldn’t go amiss as the team are struggling to retain their place in the top half of the table. Marisa Olislagers has created the most for Brighton, but additional options alongside her and Fran Kirby would help Brighton’s attacking output.
They’ve done well to concede only 13 at the other end — though this is mainly down to the form of their goalkeepers, Chiamaka Nnadozie and Sophie Baggaley — but adding some defensive depth would help keep that solidity.
Aston Villa
Villa need a proven forward. Four teams (including Villa) have netted 14 WSL goals thus far, but Rachel Daly and Kirsty Hanson have been unable to get on the ball in the box as much as needed, as both need to drop deep to start moves and help defensively. Adding a striker with a proven goal-scoring record would allow Daly to remain deep and provide cover for her eventual retirement, as she is now 34.
After exciting, creative midfielder Lucia Kendall, 21, had two breakout camps with England, Villa can look to build their team around her. Meanwhile, a defender, either a center back or full back — or ideally someone who can fill both roles — would add some depth to the defense. And some experience and leadership would also help to guide their young team.
Leicester City
Leicester City are another side in need of some depth, having scored the fewest goals (7) and conceded 20. If they want to remain competitive then bringing in options on the wing and at striker are non-negotiable. The team could also do with some midfield control and creativity, so an attacking midfield option to work alongside Hannah Cain and Sam Tierney would be a welcome addition.
Of course, some versatility at the back would also help keep control. But, with a tight budget, Leicester will likely need to rely on free agents or exploit the loan market to get the most out of their limited budget.
Everton
Everton have done well, but over the past few seasons the club have struggled to break past that mid-table spot. They have some good players, and Brian Sorenson’s tactical nous even broke Chelsea’s 32-game unbeaten streak, but injuries have hit them hard.
They really need to inject some creativity into the side, as they often struggle to create and finish chances, though summer signing Ornella Vignola has been a game-changer. If they can add one or two creative players to aid the young Spaniard, that should help. And this will be even more imperative if the club lose Kelly Gago, who has drawn interest from PSG.
Everton also need some defensive cover, as they have conceded 22 goals thus far. Ruby Mace is playing at center back, despite her best position being in defensive midfield, and allowing her to thrive in the midfield engine room will aid their pursuit of a top-half finish.
West Ham United
Rehanne Skinner had won only one of her last 11 WSL games before losing 5-1 to Manchester City in the League Cup quarterfinals and was sacked, Former Inter Milan manager Rita Gaurino has now taken over, and she has plenty that needs to be done in the window.
The Hammers need two experienced center backs at least, having conceded the most goals in the WSL thus far. And, having also scored the third-fewest goals, a striker and a box-to-box midfielder to aid with control and creation will be vital if they are to avoid slipping into the relegation zone. Like those around them, the club need to do as much business as possible.
Liverpool
You name it, Liverpool need it. Despite receiving a fee of £1 million from Arsenal for the transfer of star winger Smith over the summer, the club did not replace her or bolster the squad at all. Now, bottom of the table, they need as many players as they can get.
The club have lived dangerously with their squad depth for a while, but have capitulated on the pitch and in the dressing room this season. ACL injuries have hit them — with both Marie Hobinger and Sophie Román Haug out — but the squad already looked dangerously thin before the campaign had even started.
Every team are facing injuries and remaining competitive in the market is hard to do, as new manager Gareth Taylor admitted after losing to Arsenal, but Liverpool must do as much as they possibly can. There is no direct relegation this season, but remaining in the WSL — they’d have to beat the third-placed team from WSL 2 in a playoff if they stay in 12th place — will be dependent on what they do in this window.
