Only eight days remain in the January transfer window and if the past weekend of abandoned fixtures amid a blown open title race indicates anything, it’s that reinforcements could prove decisive for those teams challenging the table's top.
There have been some shock outgoings from London clubs such as Jordan Nobbs and Bethany England who are looking for game time to impress Sarina Wiegman and make their way into the Lionesses squad for the World Cup this summer.
Below, football.london takes you through the deals that have been done so far for each London club.
READ MORE: West Ham v Man Utd set for second Old Trafford showdown for WSL clash
Arsenal
The Gunners looked like sure title favourites until a slew of injuries threatened to derail their supercharged fury to the table’s top. The loss of striking talismans Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema to injury are the biggest talking points, with the pair’s absences threatening to stymie Arsenal's romp to the top.
Recruitments are necessary. So far, Arsenal have brought in three new players in 29-year-old Canadian goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo followed by the signing of 19-year-old Danish starlet Kathrine Kuhl and Dutch midfielder Victoria Pelova from Ajax viewed as a real triumph.
Already, the latter pair have intimated what they can bring to Jonas Eidevall's squad as they combined for Kuhl's first goal for the club in the FA Cup fourth round win over Leeds Ladies before Pelova etched her name onto the scoresheet with another. The excitement around Pelova is warranted. The 23-year-old scored 11 goals across 66 appearances at club level and was part of the Dutch team that reached the final of the 2019 Women’s World Cup.
Elsewhere, Brazilian forward Gio Quieroz was recalled from her loan spell with Everton and started the 9-0 FA Cup fourth round win over Leeds.
For outgoings, Mana Iwabuchi joined north London rivals Spurs on loan for the remainder of the season after a glaring lack of minutes under Eidevall.
And Jordan Nobbs issued the shock of the window as the England midfielder signed an 18-month deal with Aston Villa, ending her 12 years at Arsenal in a bid for consistent game time ahead of the summer’s World Cup.
With two weeks left in the window, Eidevall admitted the club are still in the market for a striker, but now they're having to do their utmost to fend off entreaties from WSL title rival Chelsea for the services of forward Katie McCabe. The north London club rejected a 'substantial' bid for the 27-year-old, whose current contract has just 18 months left to run.
Chelsea
If Chelsea’s embarrassment of riches wasn’t already obvious by a glance at their average matchday bench, a glance at their transfer business this window could suggest as much. The Blues have made just one signing in Maika Hamano from Japan. The 18-year-old forward sent to Swedish side Hammarby IF to continue her development.
The Blues made headline news as they sold veteran striker Bethany England to fellow London club Tottenham for a record-domestic fee of £250k, with the 28-year-old swapping allegiances in a bid for a berth on Sarina Wiegman's World Cup roster come July.
The dearth of a striker has seen Chelsea make a shock bid for Arsenal forward Katie McCabe, though they saw their initial offer rejected by their title rival. Chelsea remain confident that a deal can be made for the 27-year-old Republic of Ireland captain, who has just 18 months remaining on her current contract with the Gunners. Any deal would represent a major coup for Chelsea and a big blow to Arsenal, whom McCabe has played for since 2015.
Meanwhile, defender Aniek Nouwen extended her existing contract with the Blues and joined AC Milan Women on loan until the season’s end. And defender Charlotte Wardlaw was loaned to Championship side Lewes.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs have brought in two players while loaning out two this window as England youth international and defender Gracie Pearse joins Bristol City and Wales international Esther Morgan, recovering from a long-term injury, joined Championship side Sunderland.
It’s the incomings that are most telling. Spurs have struggled to register threats on goal, despite manager Rehanne Skinner insisting that the creativity would eventually come good.
Securing Bethany England and Mana Iwabuchi from Chelsea and Arsenal respectively suggests as much. England arrives on the back of a record domestic transfer fee after 10 years with the Blues, while Iwabuchi joins Spurs on a season-long loan after failing to break into the Arsenal squad.
It felt inevitable that new signing England would score on her debut, and again in the FA Cup fourth round along with Iwabuchi. The pair's unrivalled quality was on full display as they formed an impressive partnership, but the real test will arrive as Spurs face a daunting run of fixtures against league leaders Chelsea and Manchester United in the league before the international break.
Spurs also announced a two-and-a-half-year contract extension for versatile defender Ria Percival, with the 33-year-old still recovering from an ACL injury suffered last April while on international duty with New Zealand.
West Ham
The Hammers have been busy in this window, with four players waving goodbye to Paul Konchesky’s ranks and four brought in.
West Ham brought in three new defenders in 22-year-old Amber Tysiak, 19-year-old Anouk Denton and Shannon Cooke - who returns to the WSL after several years at Louisiana State University Tigers.
Denton has returned to the Hammers on a permanent contract after a half-season loan spell from Arsenal in 2021 and a year at the University of Louisville in the United States, while Cooke also returns to the WSL after appearing for Arsenal back in the 2017/18 season.
Defender Grace Garrad joined Norwegian club Staebek after making only four appearances for West Ham since joining in 2021. Forward Claudia Walker, who scored six goals in 37 appearances for the club, left for Championship side Birmingham City. Midfielder Alex Hennessy left as a free agent, while Thea Kyvag left for Norwegian club LSK Kvinner after just five months with West Ham, in which she made 10 appearances.
The Hammers have also signed striker Amalie Thestrup on loan until the end of the season from PSV. Thestrup began her career in her native Denmark before she made the move to Italy to join Roma in 2019. She spent the 2020/21 season with Liverpool in the Championship, before she joined Dutch side PSV in 2021.
After a positive start to the season, Konchesky’s side has yet to register the same threat since the turn of the year as they fell to successive league defeats against Manchester City and Everton. More work could need to be done in the transfer window if West Ham are to return to winning ways.
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