West Ham to signal USWNT midfielder Mewis

West Ham United are set to finish the signing of U.S. girls’s nationwide group midfielder Kristie Mewis from Gotham FC.

The 32-year-old, who was a part of the U.S. roster on the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, is predicted to grow to be West Ham’s first signing of the January switch window. An official announcement is predicted later this week.

Mewis was the first choose within the 2021 NWSL growth draft for the San Diego Wave, earlier than shortly getting traded to Gotham for $200,000 (£158,852) in allocation cash. She was a shiny spot in a grim 2022 for Gotham when the group completed in final place with solely 4 wins through the season.

Her time was extra restricted in 2023 because of the World Cup and a decrease leg damage however made her return in time to offer the help on Katie Stengel’s objective that despatched Gotham to the ultimate. Mewis made 14 appearances as Gotham received the 2023 NWSL Championships.

Mewis’ transfer to the WSL additionally frees up roster area for Gotham, particularly with experiences that the NWSL membership’s free agent targets embody midfielders Rose Lavelle, Emily Sonnett and Crystal Dunn. Final month, Mewis and Chelsea goalscorer Sam Kerr introduced their engagement. The 2 have been discussing potential residences in London to share throughout a latest interview with Esquire.

Gotham didn’t instantly reply to requests for touch upon Mewis’ transfer.

West Ham sit second from backside within the Ladies’s Tremendous League (WSL), degree on factors with Bristol Metropolis after registering only one win from their opening 10 matches. Rehanne Skinner was named the membership’s new supervisor forward of the brand new season in a summer time that noticed various key gamers, together with Grace Fisk and Lucy Parker, depart for WSL rivals.

Mewis made her senior worldwide debut in 2013 and, following a six-year absence from the nationwide group set-up, returned to the fold beneath Vlatko Andonovski in 2020.

The midfielder has been capped 53 occasions by her nation and was considered one of 14 U.S. gamers known as as much as their first World Cup eventually summer time’s event. She made one extra-time substitute look, stepping off the bench in opposition to Sweden within the last-16 and changing her penalty within the shootout together with her solely contact of the sport because the USWNT suffered an early elimination.

The transfer represents Mewis’ second spell in European soccer, having spent a yr on mortgage at Bayern Munich in 2015-16.

Mewis follows various U.S. team-mates who’ve beforehand had spells within the WSL. Her sister Sam spent one season at Manchester Metropolis in 2020-21, alongside Rose Lavelle and Abby Dahlkemper, whereas Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath and Christen Press all additionally moved to England that season. Crystal Dunn spent a yr with Chelsea in 2017 and Carli Lloyd additionally a mortgage spell at Metropolis that season.

(Photograph: James Williamson/Getty Photos)