By Emme Fortnam 13/1/26
Above: Jenna Nighswonger signing for Aston Villa Photo: Aston Villa FC
Making an Impetus debut, Emme Fortnam rounds up the main stories from the WSL January transfer window so far.
The current winter transfer window started on 2 January 2026 and ends on 3 February 2026. It is a time for players to show off their skills and create a bigger name for themselves. This transfer window has been pretty busy so far, with big moves from Leicester and high-profile loans from clubs like Arsenal, Man United and Chelsea.
Starting with loans – we have seen Jenna Nighswonger go on loan to Aston Villa, creating some waves throughout the Arsenal fanbase given her use this year by Renee Slegers. There’s a feeling from within the Gooners that they didn’t get a chance to see Nighswonger at her best, while Aston Villa exclaimed their excitement and eagerness to work with the full back who would “she would add real quality” to a team in fine form at the moment, with a victory over Brighton giving them sixth place in the WSL for now.
London rivals Chelsea have seen two loan departures, Maika Hamano to Tottenham and Mara Alber heading over to Werder Bremen. Both moves received a neutral reaction within the media and the fans, who understood that gaining experience and development from getting consistent playing time was necessary.
Hannah Blundell is also currently on loan following this transfer window, from Man United to Everton. In her new surroundings at Goodison Park, the left back has said she is very excited to contribute to the pitch and work with new players. Given her winning experience across her career and her defending skills, Blundell certainly has the ability to help build some momentum for the second half of Everton’s season.
Moving on to some standout deals in this transfer window, Ashleigh Neville’s permanent move from Spurs to Leicester could’ve started better. Just 3 days after the move was made, Neville faced her old team in a WSL match, scoring an own goal. The Spurs icon still seemed very positive about the move, and the first match is never going to be defining for her Leicester career.
Arsenal made a strong addition with the signing of Smilla Holmberg from Hammarby. The young Swede debuted on Saturday as Marc Skinner’s team travelled to the Emirates, where her energy and presence down the right was noticeable in her 14-minute cameo and offered some early excitement for Arsenal supporters in a season full of frustration.
Spurs’ Scandinavian invasion makes the prospect of a genuine fight for third place realistic, especially after Signe Gaupset stole the show in her very first start this weekend. Julie Blakstad comes back to the WSL rejuvenated, never having broken into the Manchester City team she featured in before. Defensive options Hanna Wijk and Matilda Nilden will both experience football outside of Sweden for the first time and offer Martin Ho depth in that area of the pitch.
Obviously we are only 19 days into the winter transfer window, and there will definitely be some more notable transfer – with Sam Coffey’s move to current leaders Man City all but confirmed, but already we have seen huge changes up and down the league. The whole dynamic of the WSL looks different, and that is exciting as we head into 2026 and the last half of games in the season.
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