Exclusive Interview: Inside the Women’s Football Transfer Market, in Conversation with Soccerdonna

Sophie Hurst
Jun 17
5 min read

Transfer windows in women’s football used to go very much under the radar. Whilst club moves were in the works, the media and public interest around them was much less in demand, and record breaking transfer fees were certainly not well broadcast.

Now, stepping into 2026, the landscape is unrecognisable. Clubs - and fans - are eagerly awaiting for each transfer window to open, wondering who will smash the records, who will make a controversial move, and which beloved players will depart their club. The market has become a spectacle of its own, and sitting right at the centre of it, is Soccerdonna.

Soccerdonna sits in a completely unique position within the women’s game. Think of them less like traditional journalists, and more like a stock market ticker tape, tracking the rising valuations and movements of the entire global exchange - all the time.

As another frantic summer window heats up, we sat down with the team behind the platform to find out how they filter the noise, why the market is shifting so intensely, and what exactly is going on with this summer’s biggest blockbuster rumours.

From a German Niche to a Global Hub

Soccerdonna’s story actually began back in 2010. At a time when women’s football coverage was far and few between, supporters asked why the massive football database Transfermarkt didn't have a dedicated women’s section. “Originally, they had planned to include women's football on the main Transfermarkt website,” the Soccerdonna team explains. “But they soon deemed that this wouldn't be fair to the women's players, (who might get overshadowed).”

It became clear that the women’s game needed, and deserved, its own dedicated space. Initially, the project was very localised, and with the founding team being based in Germany, it made sense that they started with a German-only social media account, focusing on the league structures they knew best.

It wasn’t until 2018, as the global appetite for the game began to swell, that they launched their English-language channels. However, the real turning point came a year later.

“I'd say the dedication and real appetite spiked in 2019 after the World Cup in France,” Laura noted. “Especially the interest in transfers and individual players.”

Photo Credit: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Suddenly, fans didn't just want to watch games, they wanted to know who was signing, who was leaving, and the inner workings of club rebuilds.

The Growth of a Transfer Rumour

From the outside, transfer rumours - especially transfer windows - can feel completely chaotic. A cryptic tweet becomes a headline, which spirals into a full-blown news cycle. Yet, for Soccerdonna, the process of publishing a rumour is methodical.

So, how does a floating rumour become a confirmed post on their timeline?

“There are quite a few ways from us hearing about a rumour to it being posted. We pick up rumours from journalists we know are trustworthy, meaning we have either worked with them before and they have been truthful, or they work for a major news company like the BBC or The Athletic. Sometimes, we get exclusive information directly from people close to the players.”

Verification is only strictly necessary when a tip comes from an unfamiliar source. When that happens, Soccerdonna reaches into their established network to cross-reference the claim with people close to the player in question.

Interestingly, they reveal that the public timeline of a transfer is often weeks or months behind what is actually happening behind the scenes.

“In a lot of cases, the information being published by journalists or media is already known to us. Sometimes we just cannot publish it for different reasons.”

A Million-Pound Market

The professionalisation of the game hasn't just increased media attention, it has fundamentally altered the financial reality of the sport.

Historically, player moves were dictated almost entirely by sporting opportunities or location. While those remain crucial, the financial packages on the table are now undeniable factors. We are no longer talking about barely liveable wage bumps.

“There are certainly exceptions, but I think it's obvious that this is changing significantly,” Laura says when asked if players are prioritising salaries. “We are now talking about clubs being able to offer certain players a salary of more than £1 million. Therefore, the general expectations regarding salaries have changed.”

With that kind of money in play, what exactly are clubs looking for? While every manager has a specific system, Soccerdonna sees three main profiles dominating the market:

The Next Generation: Young, promising players, because "everyone wants to find the next superstar."
The Individualists: Highly experienced players who can drop into a squad and immediately dictate the outcome of a game.
The Spine: Tactically, clubs are consistently hunting for rock-solid, defensively consistent centre-backs, and outright goalscorers.

The Pull of the WSL and the Growing Divide

One of the defining narratives of recent windows is the magnetic pull of the WSL. Players are leaving massive European institutions - even the likes of Barcelona - to test themselves in England.

For Soccerdonna, the reasoning has two sides.

“I think the WSL is the league with the highest level of play and financial resources. Also, the opportunity to play for a top club with players who have a lot to offer in terms of quality is very attractive... Either way, it's very appealing.”

But this influx of cash and talent brings a growing issue to the table, of which is the widening gap between who has it, and who doesn’t. Teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, and now London City Lionesses (backed by Michele Kang) are operating in a different financial league to the rest of the pyramid.

When asked if this financial divide will continue to grow, Soccerdonna is cautious.

“I think the gap will get bigger, and I'm not yet sure how I feel about it. When you have clubs playing in the Champions League, you naturally have higher income and spend more on high-calibre players. But on the other hand, you have situations like the Spanish Liga F, where you already know who will win the league and cup titles based on how well situated they are financially. It's really a tale of two sides.”

For the three new teams promoted from the Championship this season, participating in that arms race isn't the priority. According to Soccerdonna, their transfer strategies will be purely focused on one goal: "not getting relegated directly."

This Summer’s Blockbuster Moves

You can't talk to the biggest transfer hub in women's football without asking about the current window.

With Arsenal legends Katie McCabe confirmed to Chelsea, and Beth Mead to Manchester City before the transfer window had even opened, you know this summer is going to be a big one. Names don't get much bigger than Alexia Putellas, and whilst her move hasn't been confirmed, her link to London City Lionesses is definitely one that, to Soccerdonna, is very real.

“I can confirm those rumours are all valid,” they state cleanly. “All of the things we post have a strong foundation, and we are lucky to have a network of great people who we can rely on for information. But these particular rumours are very reliable.”

Perhaps the most fascinating move of the summer belongs to Chelsea. Following the collapse of the Bunny Shaw rumour, the departure of Sam Kerr, and Mayra Ramírez being heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, the London club has a massive void to fill up top.

“According to our information, they are actually looking for two players in the number nine position,” Soccerdonna reveals. “This makes perfect sense... Big shoes to fill.”

This summer may just be one of the most anticipated windows yet, and clubs have a lot of work to do to ensure they are putting their best foot forward for next season. The transfer window is now, officially open, and all eyes are on Soccerdonna’s page to await all those new, and confirmed, rumours.