Tottenham Hotspur have completed the club-record signing of Alice Sombath from Lyonnes. The 22-year-old France defender joins the Women’s Super League side for an undisclosed fee understood to exceed their previous transfer benchmark.
Spurs paid a reported £375,000 to secure Norwegian forward Signe Gaupset in January, which stood as the former record. While the exact sum for Sombath remains confidential, the north London club confirmed the deal establishes a new high-water mark for the women’s team.
Decorated spell in France
Sombath arrives with substantial experience from the summit of European football. She spent six years with the eight-time European champions, having signed her first professional contract with Lyonnes in 2020 after joining from Paris Saint-Germain.
During her time in France, she collected an impressive haul of silverware: one UEFA Women’s Champions League title, five league championships and two Coupe de France trophies. She featured twice during Lyonnes’ victorious European campaign and was named among the substitutes for the final.
Manager’s assessment
Tottenham head coach Martin Ho identified Sombath as a priority target to bolster his defensive ranks. “She fits the profile of what we’re building,” Ho stated. “She has already shown real maturity in her performances, and we believe she has all the qualities to continue developing into a top player within our environment.”
Ho highlighted specific attributes that attracted the club to the French international. “Alice is an aggressive defender who is comfortable in possession, competitive in her duels, and has the ambition to keep improving every day. Those characteristics are really important to us, and we’re excited to help her take the next step in her career while strengthening the squad.”
Summer recruitment drive
Sombath becomes Tottenham’s sixth arrival of the transfer window, following Shekiera Martinez, Kirsty Hanson, Victoria Pelova, Caitlin Dijkstra and Selma Panengstuen. The club are understood to be delighted at securing their priority targets early, allowing the squad a full pre-season together.
The defender expressed enthusiasm about testing herself in English football. “The league is very competitive, every game is a tough game and that’s what I’m most excited about,” she said. “I saw that Spurs had a very good season last year. My qualities can bring something to the team, even though I know they already have a lot.”
Tottenham finished fifth in the WSL last term, a significant improvement from 11th place the previous season. They ended four points behind fourth-placed Manchester United and 19 adrift of champions Manchester City as they target a push for European qualification.