Chelsea boss: USA's Girma will have 'big impact'

LONDON -- Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor has said she expects new signing Naomi Girma to take her side to a higher level but added that the defender's debut for the club will be delayed due to injury.

The United States women's national team star joined Chelsea from San Diego Wave on Sunday in a world-record deal that saw her become the first player in the women's game to command a transfer fee of over $1 million.

She was unveiled at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, ahead of Chelsea's 1-0 win over London rivals Arsenal. The victory took Chelsea a mammoth nine points clear at the top of the table, moving them one step closer to a sixth successive Women's Super League title.

"Really pleased to have Naomi with us, she's a really talented player," Bompastor told a news conference after the game.

"She will bring a lot of quality to the squad, even if the squad is already talented. But I think having Naomi joining the team will bring even more options for me being able to play a back three, back four ... Different systems.

When pressed on what qualities she likes about Girma, Bompastor said: "I think Naomi is a defender who is really comfortable with the ball in possession. She will bring a lot of confidence to the team.

"She's able to have a big impact because she's comfortable on passing the ball, kicking short, kicking long. She's also able to drive with the ball and create [an] advantage numerically.

"I think out of possession, she's a really smart player. She has a lot of speed so she's able to play really high on the pitch and recover the ball with the space behind her back. So yeah, it'll bring a big impact to our team."

However, it might be a while before Chelsea can feel her impact. Girma arrives at Chelsea short of match fitness, with her last game coming in the USWNT's win over Netherlands in a mid-December friendly. Bompastor also confirmed that the 24-year-old is nursing a calf problem.

"It's difficult for me to give you a really precise date [for her debut]," Bompastor said.

"She also had a small injury in her calf, so she won't be ready for next weekend. But we are going now to assess her and see when she will be back. But we'll give her all the support she needs to be back as soon as she can. "

Meanwhile, Girma has said that Chelsea's "winning culture" helped convince her to make the move to west London.

ESPN revealed on Jan. 16 that Chelsea were the leading contenders to sign Girma, with initial interest from Lyon and Arsenal, before confirming that the west London club had won the race for the 24-year-old's signature. It is understood that Arsenal were not among the final candidates.

Asked what made her opt to join Chelsea, Girma told the BBC: "I mean, this atmosphere is incredible. I think Chelsea just have that winning culture, that mentality, and I think I just really wanted to be a part of that group with the players and the staff and what the club stands for. I think it's amazing."

During the interview, BBC presenter and Arsenal legend Alex Scott revealed that she had been enlisted to try to convince Girma to join the Gunners by speaking to her in the director's box at a game, but to no avail.

Arsenal face second-placed Manchester City in their next WSL fixture on Feb. 2.