Everton Women working on deal to sign former Chelsea defender Maren Mjelde
Everton are working on a deal to sign former Chelsea defender Maren Mjelde on a free transfer following the season-ending knee injury sustained by club captain Megan Finnigan.
Finnigan, 26, went down in the opening 10 minutes of Everton’s 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup fourth round on Wednesday.
The club confirmed the England defender had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on Friday, following the close of the January transfer window.
And Mjelde, 35, is set to be signed a replacement for Finnigan following the expiration of her contract with Norwegian top-flight side Arna-Bjornar. No medical has taken place.
The Norway international left Chelsea at the end of the 2023-24 season, having made over 130 appearances across all competitions and winning 13 trophies since joining in 2017.
Mjelde signed a short-term contract with her former club Arna-Bjornar where she made 12 appearances in the Toppserien and scored one goal.
The defender is the sixth addition to manager Brian Sorensen’s side since the Friedkin Group’s takeover of Everton in December.
Finnigan has been a mainstay in Everton’s backline in recent seasons and has played in all 12 of Everton’s Women’s Super League (WSL) games this season. She has been at the Merseyside club since the age of nine and is Everton’s longest-serving player.
On her injury, Sorensen said: “In the three years I’ve been here we hadn’t had any [ACL injuries] until this season, and this is number three so it’s not ideal.
“From a playing point of view, we will manage. It’s definitely not ideal to lose your captain but we’ll manage. It’s probably more around mentality and what she means to the squad.”
Everton currently sit 10th in the WSL, five points clear of bottom-placed Crystal Palace.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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