New kids on the block: fresh faces to look out for in this season’s WSL

With the 2024/25 Barclays Women’s Super League fast approaching, we’re entering a new era: there’s a new governing body, four clubs have new managers, and an influx of new talent promises a fascinating campaign. Plenty of big names already familiar to WSL fans have grabbed transfer headlines with Lucy Bronze, Vivianne Miedema, and Fran Kirby all on the move over the summer – but what about those we haven’t seen yet? Here we take a look at those players coming to England for the first time, or youngsters getting their first chance at regular WSL minutes, to show why you needn’t look far for exciting new additions when the league kicks off on 20^th September. 

Olivia Smith 

Perhaps the most anticipated newcomer to the WSL this summer is Canadian youngster Olivia Smith, arriving at Liverpool for a club record £210,000. Despite being only 20 years old, it feels like she has been touted for a big move for years now. Stats never tell the whole story, but in her lone season in Portugal for Sporting CP, her 13 goals and nine assists in 18 league games led to her being named the division’s young player of the year, and validating the hype. This is hardly surprising for someone who made her Canadian national team debut at fifteen, and as she’s developed her role has also changed. Originally a midfielder, the young star came into her own on the right wing for Sporting CP last season. Her movement off the ball to create space, and her strength on it, make her a wonderful all-around footballer with superb vision and the passing acumen to back it up. She may well end up being the signing of the summer on Merseyside.

Chasity Grant

Another young player who’s already made an impact at the international level, Chasity Grant’s move from Ajax will bring European experience to an Aston Villa squad looking to move on from a disappointing 2023/24 campaign. WSL fans may already be familiar with her for her impressive performance over two legs in last season’s Champion’s League quarter-final against Chelsea, including scoring at Stamford Bridge, and new manager Robert de Pauw will hope she can replicate that form at Villa Park.

She’s a versatile forward who can play across the front line but is best on the right, and her pace and bravery on the ball are her greatest attributes. She’s not afraid to run at defenders and uses her reputation on the ball to drag the opposition out of position, creating space for her teammates to exploit. WSL defenders will be sick of the sight of her by the end of the season as the Villains hope to make a top-four push.

Ruby Mace

Moving away from more attacking players, Ruby Mace may have already been in the WSL for some time now (entering her fifth season to be exact), but the 20-year-old’s stop-start career may finally take off with her summer move back to Leicester. A versatile defensive midfielder who can also play at centre back, you wouldn’t be able to tell her age from watching her play. Her comfort on the ball and her quick feet and decision-making immediately mark her out in a game. Having come through the ranks at Arsenal before moving to Manchester City, she first really shone on a six-month loan spell at Leicester back in 2023.

Having only made three starts for Manchester City in her three years at the club, this seems like a perfect move for both player and club. Mace will finally get the opportunity she has shown she deserves – and for new Leicester boss Amandine Miquel, her arrival bolsters a squad that last season found itself lacking defensively at times. 

Mariona Caldentey 

Easily the most established name on this list, Caldentey has won everything possible in her illustrious career. She won 22 trophies with Barcelona (including three Champions Leagues) before completing a move to Arsenal when her contract ended, and was part of Spain’s 2023 World Cup winning squad. She brings a winning mentality to an Arsenal squad that hasn’t clinched the WSL title since 2019 – and probably needs to do so this season if manager Jonas Eidevall is to keep his job. Her addition is exactly what is needed in North London. She’s a forward who can play anywhere across the front line (and even drop into midfield if needed) and whose creativity and movement may be the antidote to the Gunner’s struggles against low blocks in recent years.

The greatest indicator of her quality is that she has been a consistent starter for the best team in the world for the last few years, in multiple positions, while the club have brought in several world-class players around her. No matter what, her diverse skill set and ability to change games allowed her to adapt and remain a key player in undoubtedly the best team in the world. She is an unbelievable acquisition for the North London side. 

The new WSL season kicks off with Chelsea v Aston Villa on 20th September and you’ll be able to follow the whole campaign here on FromTheSpot.