Report: Jessie Fleming to Portland Thorns for NWSL Record Transfer Fee

The Canadian superstar is reportedly set to join the Portland Thorns

Credit: Martin Mejia/The Associated Press

As reported by Tom Garry of the Telegraph, Canada International, Jessie Fleming is set to leave Chelsea and join the Portland Thorns for a record £250,000 ($316,000) which would be a league record.

She leaves Chelsea having made over 100 appearances in all competitions which included three WSL titles and FA Cups.

In their Canadian contingent, Portland’s roster already has the greatest goalscorer and arguably the greatest player ever in Christine Sinclair and star winger Janine Beckie, who is coming off an ACL but will still likely play a huge role this season.

General Manager Karina LeBlanc, has shown an affinity for acquiring top Canadian talent during her tenure. Fleming would the best player she has acquired during her time in Portlanada — I mean Portland.

Fleming joins a stacked midfield and will start alongside some combination of Hina Sugita, Olivia Moultrie, and Sam Coffey.

LeBlanc and Mike Norris have made a concerted effort to acquire the midfield personnel that fits the system. In his hybrid 4-3-3/4-4-2, Fleming, Sugita (will occasionally play as a winger), Moultrie, and Coffey are asked to keep possession, elude pressure, dribble, and be playmakers. This midfield requires players to be smart, technically sound, and exceptional which they all fit the bill. The heart and engine of this team will be played through these four.

Off the bench in the attack they will have super subs, Christine Sinclair, and potentially draft picks Olivia Wade-Katoa and Katie Duong.

Trading away Rocky Rodríguez to Angel City for $275,000 in allocation money helps facilitate the huge transfer cost of Fleming. However, it also allows a fan favorite in Rocky, to start and play regular minutes that she absolute deserves.

The Portland Thorns also saw Crystal Dunn head to Gotham FC during free agency, but Fleming’s strengths could make the midfield even stronger now.