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Alyssa Thompson made her senior USA debut against England in 2022 Women's Super League champions Chelsea have signed USA forward Alyssa Thompson for a club record fee. The 20-year-old joins from Angel City on a five-year contract. Chelsea sources say the fee is worth just under £1m. "Chelsea is such an amazing club, one of the best in the world, " Thompson said. "Being able to play with players that are the best in the world is an amazing opportunity at such a young age, and I want to learn, grow and develop a lot. "I feel like Chelsea is such an amazing environment to do that in. " Chelsea's previous transfer record was the £900, 000 they paid for USA defender Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave in January. Thompson has scored six goals in 16 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) games this season. She has three goals in 22 games for the USA. Chelsea striker Mayra Ramirez has been ruled out until January with a hamstring injury, while England forward Lauren James will miss the WSL season opener against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge at 19: 30 BST on Friday. Thompson's pedigree has grown immensely since she was selected by Angel City as the first pick in the NWSL draft in 2023 while still at high school. Angel City paid Portland Thorns and Gotham FC $450, 000 (£335, 000) to secure the first pick, essentially making Thompson the league's most expensive player, breaking the record set by USA icon Alex Morgan. It took Thompson only 11 minutes to score on her NWSL debut. A year later she lined up alongside her sister Gisele, the first time itwo siblings were named in the same starting XI in NWSL history. They have also featured together for the USA, and Alyssa was part of the squad who won gold at the 2024 Olympic Games under former Chelsea manager Emma Hayes. Angel City were keen to keep Thompson, who signed a contract extension in January to tie her down until 2028. That proved to be a vital piece of business for the club, with Chelsea required to pay a bigger fee this summer. Thompson's biggest trait is her pace. She excelled as a sprinter at school, running 11. 69 seconds in the 100m in the California state championships. Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser World Cup qualifiers: Scotland face Denmark as Tuchel asks for more England 'enthusiasm' Hamilton leads Ferrari one-two in Monza practice Injured Stones pulls out of England squad A psychological thriller directed by Christopher Nolan Why was this French film so controversial? Big, small and surprising record-breaking moments The long hunt for an elusive chemical weapons entrepreneur 'Don't worry, I'll play' - How Lucy Bronze won the Euros with a broken leg. Video'Don't worry, I'll play' - How Lucy Bronze won the Euros with a broken leg What will be Levy's legacy as his Spurs era ends? Highlights: NI open campaign with win in Luxembourg. Video Highlights: NI open campaign with win in Luxembourg England take match to final ball but South Africa clinch series Video England take match to final ball but South Africa clinch series Horse riding and eating horse 'four ways' - Wales fans do Kazakhstan The art of the free transfer - and why Real Madrid are masters of it Who will win Super Bowl & be MVP? NFL pundits' predictions Weekly sports quiz: Who spent the most in the transfer window? 'People assume you're not trying' - James on England criticism From coma to World Cup in three years - Burton savours comeback Electric New York energy reignites etiquette debate Glasner wins Guehi transfer battle at Liverpool's expense - how deal fell through Arsenal's Kelly, Russo and Mc Cabe discuss football 'icks' Video Arsenal's Kelly, Russo and Mc Cabe discuss football 'icks' 'Liverpool's record-breaking summer has surely made title a formality' What does Australia's Hundred dominance mean for women's cricket? Transfers - September 2025 Q&A: Norris' title hopes - and Antonelli 'like an artichoke' In Pictures: Sporting photos of the week 'A sour taste' - inside a summer like no other in Newcastle's history 'Donald banking on experience for Ryder Cup bear pit' Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.