Zambia's Racheal Kundananji sets record as most expensive transfer in women’s football history
Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji has become the most expensive player in the history of women’s football after signing for National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) expansion team Bay FC.
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The US club, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, signed the 23-year-old forward from Spanish club Madrid CFF for a fee of $788,000.
Additionally, she is the first African - male or female - to break a transfer fee record.
Kundananji has signed a four-year contract with an option for a fifth year with the signing coming just two weeks after Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala, who won the African Footballer of the Year award for the sixth time in December, signed from Barcelona.
Kundananji played at last year’s Women’s World Cup, scoring once in a 3-1 victory over Costa Rica as her nation exited at the group stage. The 23-year-old spent 18 months with Madrid, netting both goals in a surprise win over Barcelona last year and finishing as the league’s second-highest scorer with 25 goals.
This term she has eight goals and two assists, with Madrid second in the standings.
Kundananji’s transfer to the California-based side comes a year and five months after Keira Walsh last set the world transfer record with her move from Manchester City to Barcelona for £400,000. It also marks the first time since 2020 that the record fee has not involved a buying or selling club from England.
As an aside, Mayra Ramirez’s transfer to Chelsea from Levante could eclipse the fee for Walsh once add-ons are paid, but that will now not be clear in first place as a total fee as it falls well short of the deal for Kundananji.
The escalation of transfer fees in women’s football is evident in this latest record deal being a huge 71% increase on the deal for Walsh, fewer than 18 months later.
Bay FC have also added former Liverpool and Arsenal attacker Asisat Oshoala to their squad from Barcelona ahead of the 2024 NWSL season, while 143-cap Scottish international defender Jen Beattie signed directly from the Gunners earlier this month.
The campaign starts on March 16, 2024, running through to November.
The Copper Queen @KKundananji has arrived! 👑
The Zambian forward joins #BayFC from @MadridCFF.
Read the announcement at: https://t.co/S5koi2QcV6
#WeCameToPlay pic.twitter.com/xqNt4YN7zw— Bay Football Club (@wearebayfc) February 13, 2024
