Letting go of Naomi Girma would have possibly been one of the toughest calls for the San Diego Wave. But when the opposition is Chelsea—offering not just a lucrative contract but also over a $1 million transfer fee—along with a player open to change, the outcome is obvious, isn’t it? While Girma’s exit seemed to leave a void impossible to fill, the Waves have proved the naysayers wrong by allegedly spending $150,000.
Yes, you heard it right. The protagonist here is Daniela Arias, a Colombian defender who has officially been acquired from Corinthians Femenino. With the announcement being made on Wednesday, March 26, one would argue how they managed to sign a player two days after the American women’s league transfer window shut down. However, San Diego stated that the deal was already before that.
In fact, it is still pending to some extent; that’s because the deal is awaiting approval of her P-1 Visa. Rest assured a two-year contract has been signed by Arias through the 2026 season. There is also a mutual option to extend until 2027 as well. But on another interesting note, the California-based club mentioned that the exact figures regarding the deal remain undisclosed. Yet, according to Jeff Kassouf and other sources, it lies somewhere around $150,000.
This is now official from the Wave. Contract through 2026 with a mutual option for 2027. #NWSL https://t.co/c3UljeIsva
— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) March 26, 2025
“Daniela is a proven talent with strong defensive instincts and a winning mentality,” said Sporting Director and General Manager Camille Ashton. “Her experience and presence on the backline will be a great asset to our team, and we’re excited to welcome her to San Diego.”
A sigh of relief mostly comes to the Waves’ new boss and former Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall. Already, the pre-season saw him work without Naomi Girma. The 24-year-old was touted to further keep leading the San Diego’s backline for more years but a move to Europe was already on her mind. Additionally, they also lost center-back Abby Dahlkemper to Bay FC.
This left Eidevall only with the likes of Kennedy Wesley and Kristen McNabb to start as key defenders. However, the addition of Daniela Arias surely adds more depth to their center-back placements. Speaking of which, let’s know more about the new signing.
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