Gotham FC NWSL is set to sign Sam Kerr on a free transfer following the expiry of her contract with Chelsea. The 32-year-old Australia striker announced her exit from the eight-time Women’s Super League champions in May, ending a six-and-a-half-year stay that featured five WSL titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and 116 goals in 158 appearances, the joint-most in the club’s history. Sam Kerr will join former Chelsea teammates Jess Carter, Ann-Katrin Berger and Guro Reiten at Gotham FC NWSL. The move to Gotham will represent Kerr’s third stint in the NWSL, having most recently spent two seasons with the Chicago Red Stars between January 2018 and December 2019, scoring 35 goals in 43 appearances before joining Chelsea. Kerr won two consecutive WSL Golden Boot awards in 2020-21 and 2021-22 as Chelsea won the league, before winning the WSL Player of the Year Award and Football Writers’ Association Women’s Footballer of the Year in the season after. In October 2023, she came second in the Ballon d’Or voting. Gotham FC NWSL currently sits fifth in the NWSL standings but have made big moves in recent transfer windows to defend their title, including the landmark intraleague transfer for USWNT star Jaedyn Shaw and the acquisition of Kerr’s former teammate and Norway forward Guro Reiten from Chelsea. The club has also announced plans to construct their first-ever training facility, which will cost around $35 million and include a comprehensive suite of performance and operational spaces. Yael Averbuch West was promoted to president of soccer operations, reflecting her central role in building one of the NWSL’s most ambitious organizations. Kerr’s return to Gotham FC NWSL is a significant boost to their title defense, and her experience and goal-scoring ability will be invaluable to the team. The signing of Sam Kerr is a major coup for Gotham FC NWSL, and it will be interesting to see how she performs in her third stint in the NWSL. With her proven track record and the team’s ambitious plans, Gotham FC NWSL is well-placed to make a strong challenge for the title. Kerr ended the 2025-26 season having scored 17 goals and provided three assists in 30 matches across all competitions for Chelsea. Her final goal for Chelsea arrived in the 1-0 win against Manchester United in the final WSL match of the season.