The glowing reviews of Naomi Girma are seemingly endless.

She is the best defender United States manager Emma Hayes has ever seen; according to Casey Stoney, her former manager at San Diego Wave and the new Canada head coach, she is also the most humble player on the planet; her US team-mates describe her as the “glue” in their side and during the Paris Olympics last summer she was jokingly referred to as the “Secretary for Defence”.

These are just a few of the reasons Chelsea are poised to make Girma the first $1million player in women’s football.

The exact fee the Women’s Super League side will pay San Diego Wave is understood to be $1.1 million (£890,000) – a record transfer for women’s football, surpassing the £685,000 Bay FC paid for Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji last year.

This size of this deal ensures it will have a wider impact on the women’s game. It is a statement of intent by Chelsea and a clear sign of their ambition to topple Barcelona as the best women’s team in the world.

Why Girma is worth $1m

Girma’s talent is obvious. She is exceptional on the ball and has a wonderful passing range. Not only that, she is physically strong, reads the game well and is deceptively quick. In short, she has it all.

The 24-year-old has the ability to be the best defender in the world for at least the next five years. This is a deal for the present and the future.

Perhaps the most worrying aspect for the rest of the football world is that Girma herself does not realise how good she is. Stoney posted on X that she hoped her tag as the most expensive player in women’s football would help the defender appreciate her worth.

Stoney had surprised many when she selected Girma as the first pick in the National Women’s Soccer League 2022 draft, but the former England defender had clearly spotted her potential early on.

Girma, who was born in California to Ethiopian parents, has already shown her mental strength in her short career. After leading Stanford Cardinal to the 2019 College Cup, Girma tore an anterior cruciate ligament and went through a gruelling rehabilitation.

In 2022, Girma’s former Stanford team-mate and close friend Katie Meyer died by suicide. Girma wrote a moving tribute to her friend via the Players’ Tribune and dedicated her 2023 World Cup experience to her. She has quickly become a leader in the US team and is a player team-mates can always rely on.

Why Girma has chosen Chelsea

Girma was not short of options, with Arsenal and Lyon also thought to have been interested. But Chelsea were the only club ready to commit to San Diego Wave’s hefty asking price as well as Girma’s wages.

It is obvious why Chelsea wanted Girma, but why has she decided the London club is the right place for her?

Unsurprisingly, Girma is understood to have spoken to Hayes, who won 16 trophies during her 12 years as Chelsea manager. Hayes knows first hand the resources Chelsea have to help develop Girma into an even better player, and the strengths of manager Sonia Bompastor, who is unbeaten since taking charge in the summer.

The club also have Girma’s international team-mates Catarina Macario and Mia Fishel on their books, and both have been able to advise on what Chelsea can offer on and off the pitch.

Chelsea may be seven points clear at the top of the WSL but it is clear they needed to strengthen their defensive options, with Kadeisha Buchanan sidelined with an ACL injury.

In a season when Chelsea have barely put a foot wrong, the only small criticism that could be levelled at them is that they have occasionally looked vulnerable at the back. They have conceded only six goals in the WSL – one more than Arsenal and Manchester United – and the same number in the Champions League.

But current European champions Barcelona have conceded just three goals in the competition. Sometimes it is those small margins that make a difference and Girma will undoubtedly make Chelsea’s defence harder to break down.

Why this move will have a wider impact

Is this transfer a watershed moment in the women’s game? Chelsea have historically been the club willing to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to paying big fees for players.

Mayra Ramirez arrived for a then record fee of £384,000 last January while Sam Kerr’s move back in 2020 was another key moment in their transfer history. But what does this signing mean for the rest of the WSL? How many other clubs can realistically compete with the money that Chelsea are prepared to spend?

Bompastor’s side are already on course for a record points tally in the WSL. Adding a player of Girma’s quality is only likely to widen the gap between them and the rest. This is not a criticism of Chelsea, far from it. It is perhaps a wake-up call to the other big clubs in this country that they risk being left behind if they do not back up their ambitions with their chequebooks.

It is not just about transfer fees, it is also about how much clubs pay the best players. English sides have often trailed behind the likes of Lyon and Barcelona when it comes to wages, but Chelsea are undoubtedly now in the same bracket. The rest of the WSL is a step below.

As transfer fees increase, so too do players’ salary expectations. It is only right that a player of Girma’s standing is paid what she is worth.

The romantic view that clubs can win trophies by developing their own players, is not realistic while academies are still so early in their development. The cold, hard truth is that to be the best you have to pay for the best. Chelsea have shown they are prepared to do that. It is now up to other clubs to follow suit.