Where each WSL club should strengthen ahead of next season?
We discuss all 12 Women’s Super league teams and where each of them should strengthen in their squads for next season.
Now that we are in July, it officially feels like the 2024-25 season is upon us and in the Barclays Women’s Super League in particular, it certainly feels like we could be set for a very intriguing campaign. Given the various changes in management at four clubs, plus potential incoming transfers also, the expectation is that clubs will be aiming to strengthen their teams more and more over these next two months until that opening weekend in September.
Let’s go through all 12 teams and how they currently stand at this and pick out some of the areas where each team can strengthen ahead of the new season.
If you support a WSL team, where do you think your club needs to strengthen ahead of this upcoming season?
Arsenal
Ending in third place again, the Gunners will head into this next campaign feeling like they can’t avoid being serious title contenders anymore. They have to step up and challenge a lot more closely than they have been. Poor results against teams they are expected to beat cost them last season and they will hope to rectify all of that heading into this new season.
They don’t require wholesale changes, they just have to build and improve on what they have at their disposal currently. I could pick out a couple of positions where they need to add a bit more quality into the team, for example, this summer now feels like the time where they should sign a new goalkeeper. They’ve let Sabrina D’Angelo and Kayla Marckese leave so that leaves them with just Manuela Zinsberger and Naomi Williams. They have been linked with a move for Daphne Van Domselaar from Aston Villa who could be a long-term option for them if a move was to come to fruition.
The North London side also may feel like they have to add a midfield signing as well given the injury suffered by Victoria Pelova on international duty which is likely to see her miss all of next season. Its been reported a lot now regarding the interest in Keira Walsh but whether they spend the money probably needed to bring her in is another thing. If they don’t add a new addition to the team it could actually be a good chance for Kyra Cooney-Cross to get more game-time or even the returning Kathrine Kühl from her loan spell at Everton.
In terms of up front, Alessia Russo did find some form towards the end of last season, however, adding former Barcelona forward Mariona Caldentey into this attack could help them break though low blocks a lot more, which proved to be a problem for them last season. But will she be enough for them if they are to add that extra clinicality to their play.
Aston Villa
Villa recently announced that Dutchman Robert de Pauw will be their new manager. Getting a new coach in as quick as they have and before pre-season is a good thing as it then gives him time to meet players and get an early idea of the squad he has and who will fit into this plans for this season.
After finishing seventh in Carla Ward’s last season in charge, it felt like an underwhelming campaign for the West Midlands club. De Pauw has a job to do in helping to transition this team from a mid-table WSL side to a consistently, well-performing team that can battle for a top five finish once again. Away from new signings for a second, the former Bayer Leverkusen and FC Twente manager will have to establish a style of play that can help them get more results so that they can avoid looking behind them in the table more often.
Looking at the squad, it is one where we probably should expect some new additions to be made into it and they have done so already adding Jill Baijings and Paula Tomás. In the event of a possible Van Domselaar sale as mentioned before, then they will have to replace her in that scenario. The club have also kept on experienced players such as Jordan Nobbs and Danielle Turner which will be good for squad depth although in Nobbs’ case she could maybe still feature as a starter. Defensively there are issues that need to be sorted, plus it would be nice to see the team have more of a focus on developing players too.
Last season, Aston Villa did struggle slightly for goals. Rachel Daly wasn’t always going to hit the same heights she had done the season before, but their wasn’t enough being produced from others in the team. Adriana Leon did well enough but with the club selling another attacking-minded player in Alisha Lehmann. Villa have a chance to add a new forward to their squad who could improve their goal output.
Brighton and Hove Albion
Last season had promise, but it ended up being a massive struggle for the Seagulls, but they do have a new manager who will be at the helm for them next season in Dario Vidosic. The former Melbourne City head coach has just joined the club subject to his work permit being processed and from what the club has said about the appointment, it feels like one that matches their profile and the style of football they want implemented to their teams’.
After Melanie Phillips’ sacking back in February it had been all on interim boss Mikey Harris to make sure the team didn’t lose their place in the WSL. They did survive and now it seems like a bit of a rebuild may be needed once again. They look likely to lose top-scorer from last season Elisabeth Terland plus Katie Robinson, Veatriki Sarri and Tatiana Pinto just to name a few, all departed following the end of their contracts.
They have already added a couple of players at the start of this window which are all interesting options with Fran Kirby being the standout transfer out of the four as Brighton continue to attract some players who have tremendous success at other clubs. The other signings have been striker Kiko Seike and defenders Marisa Olislagers and Marit Auée.
I think it’s imperative for them to strengthen in attack. Although signing Kiko Seike potentially could solve that issue that I would say they need to strengthen given Elisabeth Terland’s rumoured departure to Manchester United and Sieke arrives having scored 20 goals in last season’s Japanese WE League. Her record internationally stands at seven goals in 21 games as well so she certainly can score a goal or two. But time will tell whether she adapts well to the WSL and if Brighton potentially need to add more firepower to their squad but also now that they have a head coach in, will they add in more players suited to how they may look to play.
Chelsea
They head into another WSL season as the reigning champions, but this time though it feels a lot more different. A lot of that is because this season, they have someone new at the helm in former Lyon manager Sonia Bompastor following Emma Hayes’ departure and she will be looking to carry on that successful legacy that Hayes built up over a long tenure.
Bompastor is inheriting a top quality squad, but it’s a top quality squad that is packed with so many players. The largest in the entire WSL. Plus, there is the intention of adding in more players who Bompastor will have wanted to bring in as well so that she can build up the team that she wants.
Chelsea have this good blend of experience and youth, with a few players in there who have been at the club for a few years now getting into the prime years of their career you would think, and then there is the abundance of young talent they possess. Some of which are amongst the first team, while others are all returning from loan spells.
In terms of strengthening, the only area I can say Chelsea potentially could do with more options in is midfield. Yes they do have so many players in the squad who are very versatile and can play all over the pitch, plus there’s the added factor of Bompastor’s previous faith in younger players which could solve this as well. Perhaps signing Julia Bartel was done with this in mind, but you could say that maybe a more proven option would be more of a benefit in the short term as they go for yet another WSL title.
Crystal Palace
It will be a history-making campaign for the Eagles managed by Laura Kaminski as they prepare for their first ever season in the Women’s Super League after their promotion from the Championship. They secured this in what was actually their first ever season as a full-time professional outfit as well. However, if they are to avoid the same fate which Bristol City ended up with then they have to have their strategy right. Plus they need to build up a squad that is good enough to compete in games at this level.
One thing that helped Palace to promotion last season was goals - 55 of them to be exact. This was 16 more than the next closest team to them in the league and a lot those came from forward Elise Hughes, who also won the Championship golden boot too. Unfortunately for them though, Hughes suffered an ACL injury in their penultimate Championship game and with those kind of injuries as we sadly know she will be expected to miss most of this upcoming season. So, it’s safe to say Crystal Palace are going to be in need of another forward, but they have to make sure they are playing smart.
If they are to compete at this level they have to be targeting experience and also proven players who have shown they can match up to those at the lower half of the table at an absolute minimum. They could look into who’s available realistically as a free agent, but they could attempt to something that was done for their benefit very well last season, which was loan deals.
Palace are pretty much going to need to add to their squad all over anyway. One other thing they should use as their blueprint is to just look at how Bristol City went about everything last season. They can look at how the campaign went for them and learn from that and avoid making similar mistakes. Having Premier League-backing behind them is a benefit compared to Bristol City, but it still won’t guarantee anything for them at all.
Everton
Everton’s problems in recent seasons have been down to having a limited squad and when injuries start to stack up, those problems eventually become too much to deal with and with a lack of progress in the team, that then makes it more difficult to keep some of your better players which would potentially help you kick on up the table.
Now granted, the women’s team has suffered as well with the financial constraints of having owners who are in the midst of trying to sell the club. What that leaves them with is essentially the best they can get out of very little. Thankfully for them they have been able to keep the likes of Courtney Brosnan who signed a new deal, defender Elise Stenevik and forward Katja Snoeijs are still at the club too. Overall, Everton just simply have to strengthen all of their squad in the smartest and most efficient way that they are able too.
The question for manager Brian Sorensen and others will be how can they go about that again? Well they are linked with two additions at the moment in Toni Payne and Inma Gabarro. Both are believed to be key targets for the club according to various media reports and Gabarro potentially is really one to watch for them. While in terms of strengthening other areas right now, it feels like Everton need to look at trying to bring in another strong option defensively. Perhaps they could even look at a loan move for someone?
Leicester City
Another club where there is a bit of uncertainty is Leicester City who right now, still don’t have a manager in yet either nor have they been active yet in the transfer window despite the odd rumour here and there. The squad as it looks currently does have some good quality players amongst it with a mix of experienced names and some up-and-coming names in there too.
For me, strength in depth is going to be important for them. Chances are there they will add players in as the window goes on, but one of the priority areas should be in defence given they are a bit low on numbers defensively as of this moment. It’s a pretty similar thing to Everton in a way in terms of their defence not being filled with enough quality to help them be a solid enough unit to really compete higher up in the WSL.
Maybe it is the current lack of an idea of how this summer is going to play out that is clouding my mind went it comes to Leicester City, but right now the whole team is just in need of an identity. A style of play that at least for this season perhaps just has them looking like a team that is heading in a good direction. They’ve had a lot of instability in terms of coaching changes in recent years so they could really do with a change of fortune or at least some promising signs of progress within the whole set-up.
Liverpool
Last season was an overachievement from Liverpool when they ended the season in fourth spot, but now they’ll be going into the next season having to maintain this and challenge to finish that high up yet again. Early signs from the Merseyside club show that that is exactly what they want to do.
To do that, Liverpool are going to have to reinforce the squad with more quality on top of what they have already at their disposal. Signing highly-rated Canadian talent Olivia Smith for what was reported as a club-record fee feels like a statement of intent from them. However, a lot of their business you would think also will involve them replacing players who they have let leave due to expired contracts.
Losing defensive players such as Emma Koivisto and Melissa Lawley who were regulars for them a lot of the time last season means defensive reinforcements should be a focus for them too if they want to maintain the challenge of being amongst the top sides in the league. What I think they could focus on as well is looking at more upcoming talents in defensive positions as well so that it creates this dynamic in the club that this is a good place to be if you want to be somewhere that not only cares, but can also help you become a better player too.
It’s going to be interesting to see just how Liverpool handle this next stage of their growth since they were promoted back to the WSL back in 2022. They were one of the better sides to watch last season with their good mix of quality players and the tactical mindset implemented by manager Matt Beard. It means fans can be excited and optimistic for next season.
Manchester City
After missing out on the title via goal difference, Man City will be coming back this upcoming season to go that extra step further. The team itself has seen a number of departures and many of them have been in defensive areas. Esme Morgan and Steph Houghton were two of the names to have left the team recently meaning it does feel fairly straightforward in terms of where City have to look to strengthen this summer.
Admittedly, City do still have a fairly strong squad but they are in need of quality in all areas of the pitch. They have to replace those that have left them with good options who either capable of playing on a regular basis and those who potentially still in need of a bit more development. We’ve already seen them applying an approach at bringing in more younger players that they can develop as time goes on and that’s mainly been in midfield or attacking positions so far, so perhaps now they could apply the same strategy with players who are more defensive-minded.
Manchester City have already been active in this window as well adding more quality into the attacking areas with the addition of Vivianne Miedema as a free signing which definitely feels like one of the major moves of the entire window already. City do have some spots to fill in their squad which they can do with more new signings or maybe some academy call-ups if they are available. But what will be key also is to keep a hold of the top players they have too, for example, those Chloe Kelly rumours aren’t going anywhere which still leaves her future uncertain at the club. So they will have to be prepared for a scenario in which she maybe even leaves this summer, who knows?
Manchester United
The main story of Manchester United’s squad this summer other than anything that is talked about regarding off-field matters, has been the departure of some big names within their team and also very much adored by the fanbase. The now-former captain Katie Zelem and goalkeeper Mary Earps have left with Earps joining PSG and Zelem’s future still yet to be confirmed. From the outside looking in, it feels like the club are about to begin a bit of a slight transition period even if some things haven’t changed too much.
In terms of replacing Mary Earps, they do have the option in Phallon Tullis-Joyce who they can promote to the no:1 spot if they do wish or they can do some scouting and see who is available. Where as with a replacement for Katie Zelem, it does look more difficult potentially. For me United are in need of a more specific kind of midfielder who is happy to sit deep and soak up pressure which would allow other players to be involved further up the field in an attacking sense.
One thing that hasn’t changed is Marc Skinner is still the manager after signing a one-year contract extension and now he has get a squad together that has lost two influential figures and come off-the-back of an underwhelming season in the league at least. In the past they’ve looked to strengthen the squad so they can compete higher up more regularly, but haven’t utilised players correctly which ultimately tends to lead to some of them not playing and eventually leaving the club. An interesting stat I saw was in the last three windows, United have signed 13 players. Six of them have since left after not making the first team. Four of them also haven’t played more than 100 minutes of football.
So in terms of this summer’s recruitment, they have to get it right or they face potentially another WSL season where they are left wondering how they haven’t met expectations. They also have to specifically target quality additions and granted early reports and rumours do seem to be quite positive. Dominique Janssen has already joined United from Wolfsburg bringing some good experience to the squad and has played in England before. Also, the rumoured move for striker Elisabeth Terland and the permanent transfer of Melvine Malard will a benefit to their attack as well as long as the team can offer more creativity in games.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs will be heading into their second season under manager Robert Vilahamn after a promising campaign last time around finishing sixth in the WSL. The big thing for them this upcoming season is whether they can build on the early foundations now set out while also improving in other areas.
There hasn’t yet been any new additions to the squad, but they have made Amanda Nildén’s move from January permanent after her loan spell. Seven players left the club after the expiry of their contracts and some of them will need replacing, so Tottenham have a chance to add strength in depth and you would think that will lead to them looking to sign players who can gel with the style of play that Robert Vilahamn wants from his team.
Now one of Spurs’ biggest problems last season was seeing games out. They struggled massively at this and for me they have to recruit in midfield and defensive areas of the pitch to try and solve this. Grace Clinton was the standout last season from a creativity standpoint and other aspects, therefore they have to find someone who can replicate those attributes and maybe that will have to lead to more than one player being brought in. Or there’s a scenario in which Grace Clinton ends up signing permanently maybe?
West Ham United
The Hammers are likely to be very active again in the transfer window and usually in the summer we do see them have a bit of a turnover in players with those leaving at the end of their contracts and then those get brought in as replacements. This summer it seems will be no different, however it is a concern seeing some of the names that have left.
The departures of first team regulars last season Mackenzie Arnold, Hawa Cissoko, Risa Shimizu and Honoka Hayashi just to name a few, will be something that could affect them. Former captain and goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold leaving after spending four years at the club is a blow, however they did work quickly to find her replacement in Polish international keeper Kinga Szemik so whether she can have a quick impact is something that we wait to see how it all plays out.
West Ham have been in and around the bottom positions for a few seasons now and Rehanne Skinner couldn’t change their fortunes too much last season despite the odd good result here and there. They need to sign experienced players to go with what is a young squad overall. If they can find a good mix of those things within their squad, then maybe they can create more of an impact in this new season.