Deadline Day: The Hidden Reality of Summer Transfers

Deadline day is done and this summer alone 47 signings have come to England from abroad. The WSL is becoming renowned for its high level of competition across the league, attracting players from top European, American, and Australian sides to make the move.

Some players have had a few months to find their feet, while others signed mere days before the start of the season. For fans, it's as simple as seeing a player in new club colours, yet behind the scenes lie big lifestyle changes that many may not consider. These signings stretch beyond being solely a career choice.

Players haven't been shy in expressing the commitment behind the transition. London City Lionesses' Jana Fernández joked that tracking down her designated supermarket was a "journey" on its own. The comment was hyperbolic, yet when you strip away the humour, finding a new local shop for coffee, groceries, and other daily consumptions is a genuine effort in trial and error. You can master tactical drills in training that afternoon, but finding the right aisle for olive oil in an unfamiliar supermaket? That's where the real mental fortitude is tested!

Photo Credit: via @arsenalwfc

Photo Credit: via @astonvillawomen

To relieve some of the personal stress, Airbnb have launched a £1 million partnership with the WSL and WSL2 to give incoming players free temporary housing while they search for a permanent property.

Former Lioness Fara Williams claimed that she knows that stress all too well. She described her life as footballer as "living out of a suitcase", and recalled how exhausting it was not having a proper base to return to after travelling for games. Therefore, this new partnership has been implemented to relieve the housing stress from players who highlighted that relocation distracts from their focus of moving clubs.

Aside from the househunting, the real culture shocks and unwritten rules of British life are a whole extra puzzle for these players to unravel.

Alyssa Thompson admitted that driving in London was a total shock to the system, mostly the sheer terror of navigating the tight winding roads while steering on the left hand side.

Alexia Putellas, Jana Fernández and Freya Godfrey dissected the classic British breakfast of baked beans, along with the local habit of smothering every meal in ketchup. They haven’t even ventured onto northern UK habits of chips with vinegar, the dilemma’s of gravy; (such dishes that as a uni student I crave but wouldn’t expect the London City spaniards to appreciate!) Putellas did find a silver lining, though, admitting she was a big fan of early British dinner times compared to the midnight meals back in Spain.

While these debates aren't inherently weighted, the idea that you are altering your previous routine, whether it be how you drive to work or when you eat your meals, these adjustments make the move much bigger than solely a footballing choice.

The WSL is attracting world-class talent, but behind every flashy deadline-day headline is a real person trying to master left-hand turns, weird food habits, and a new way of life, all while expected to perform at the highest level on the pitch!