Christen Press is coming home. The Los Angeles native will play her future club soccer with Angel City FC after Racing Louisville announced a trade with the NWSL expansion club on Monday.
Christen Press Transfer Details
It's official: We've agreed to a trade with @weareangelcity.
A first-round draft pick, allocation money and expansion draft protection are en route for Christen Press' @NWSL playing rights.https://t.co/Rb59zhvt8D pic.twitter.com/SSijQ4KEvy
— Racing Louisville FC (@RacingLouFC) August 23, 2021
De Los Ángeles, para Los Ángeles.@ChristenPress is officially coming home pic.twitter.com/mm3cFcBp1q
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) August 23, 2021
Per the Los Angeles Times, a source confirmed that Press’ deal will be for three seasons and worth more than $700,000 per year. This contract is one of the largest in NWSL history and will rank Press among the league’s highest-paid players.
Press told the LA Times that the opportunity to play in her hometown was everything she could have ever wanted.
“For it to really be happening, to be able to bring professional soccer back to Los Angeles and to be a part of that team, is nothing but a dream come true,” Press said. “A dream that didn’t even feel possible for the majority of my career.”
Her contract with Angel City will last three years, but Press said she wouldn’t mind extending that stay.
“Whether it’s in three years, six years or nine years I would love to finish my career in front of my friends and family and, obviously, the city of Los Angeles,” Press said.
The Press transfer was a win for every party involved. Press will get to play in her hometown, Los Angeles — which hasn’t had a professional women’s team since the L.A. Sol in 2010 — will have a huge name in town and Racing Louisville got a great deal too.
Racing Louisville did what the cool kids call a “pro gamer move.” In the 2020 NWSL expansion draft, Louisville acquired both Press and Tobin Heath. It’s highly likely that neither of the two will play a single game in Kentucky.
One key part in the Christen Press transfer details is that Racing Louisville will have expansion draft protection from Angel City. When the new Los Angeles club gets to draft players from other existing NWSL clubs to make its roster, Racing Louisville won’t be an option.
Some fans are predicting Louisville to do the exact same move with Heath and the new San Diego expansion team expected to start play in 2022. Skipping out on two expansion drafts, on top of receiving some serious cheddar and draft picks, is quite the power move.
As for Press's next couple months it’s unclear what she will do until Angel City begins play next season. Manchester United announced her departure from the club in June.
