Gotham FC are set to add another marquee name to their star-studded lineup.
It wound up costing them the NWSL’s reigning Rookie of the Year.
Sam Kerr, one of the most acclaimed strikers in women’s soccer, is set to sign with Gotham in the coming weeks following the expiration of her contract with Chelsea, according to multiple reports.
The splash acquisition answers a question posed earlier Wednesday when Gotham announced the trade of defender Lilly Reale, who in 2025 captured the award as the league’s top rookie and helped the team to an NWSL championship, to the expansion Boston Legacy.
In exchange, Gotham received $350,000 in allocation money and $50,000 in intraleague transfer funds. Gotham made a point in a press release of noting how the funds they received can be used toward the NWSL salary cap.
It logically follows those funds will be directed toward adding Kerr to a roster seemingly in need of offensive firepower.
Gotham sit in fifth place in NWSL with the league on pause during the men’s World Cup group stage. They have conceded a league-fewest five goals in 11 matches, but have scored just 12, despite the presence of talents such as Rose Lavelle, Jaedyn Shaw and Esther González.
The 32-year-old Kerr, also a legend on the international stage with Team Australia, previously played for the Gotham franchise from 2015-17 in its incarnation as Sky Blue.
She departed NWSL in 2019 as the league’s all-time leading goal-scorer, and now will have a chance to reclaim that record from Lynn Biyendolo.
Kerr will be reunited with former Chelsea teammates Jess Carter, Ann-Katrin Berger and Guro Reiten on the Gotham roster. Kerr is married to former U.S. women’s national team midfielder Kristie Mewis, who also previously played at Gotham.
Reale, 22, who hails from the Boston area, appeared in every regular-season game for Gotham during their landmark 2025 campaign. Her impressive showing at left back helped her earn a spot with the U.S. women’s national team.
Reale’s playing time recently had declined as Gotham have successfully deployed Reiten at left back. Reale departs with 44 appearances and 33 starts in all competitions across one and a half seasons.
“Lilly has been an important part of our club since joining Gotham FC last season,” Gotham president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West said in the release. “She has made significant contributions to our success on and off the field, and we are grateful for everything she has brought to Gotham.
“We wish her all the best moving forward.”