EXCLUSIVE: Asisat Oshoala arrives in the United States to complete big NWSL club move

By Samuel Ahmadu

Barcelona striker Asisat Oshoala landed in the United States of America on Tuesday to undergo her medicals and sign her contract with an National Women’s Soccer League outfit, NigeriaFootball.ng can exclusively report.

The development corroborates our earlier report on Oshoala‘s imminent exit despite the European champions’ claims of “personal reasons” for the Super Falcon omission from the club’s roster to Real Betis’ clash on Sunday and Wednesday’s Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Portugal for SL Benfica showdown.

Oshoala has made 14 appearances for Barcelona this season, starting in just three games. Through that time, she’s netted eight goals. Overall, the former Liverpool and Arsenal star scored 107 goals in 149 appearances for Barcelona during during her five-year stint, from February 2019 to January 2024.

As earlier reported in SPORT over the weekend, the FC Barcelona sanctioned the immediate transfer of the Nigerian striker, who contract runs out in June, to the NWSL club, with the transfer fee is around €150,000 ($162,000 USD).

Meanwhile, Insiders in Spain, told NigeriaFootball.ng that the 29-year-old left the Spanish city of Barcelona early this week to arrive at the NWSL club base, Bay FC in San Jose on Tuesday, as corroborated by US sources.

Her prospective club destination, Bay FC are an expanded team which are set to launch their campaign in the NWSL from the 2024 season, with their home stadium to be PayPal Park in San Jose, California,  a soccer-specific stadium with 18,000 seats – same ground as San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer (MLS).

Bay FC stadium – Asisat Oshoala’s new home

Nigeria international is joining expansion side – the first women’s professional soccer team based in the Bay Area and she is expected to be unveiled this week, aggreeing to a rumoured contract through 2026 with a 2027 option.

With medicals and contract signing to be sorted this week, the reigning African Player of the Year will team up with new arrival Venezuelan international Deyna Castellanos, who joined the team from Manchester City on Sunday.

She’ll be spearheading the club’s attack, giving her the chance to continue her incredible professional jourey with regular playing time when they kick off their inaugural NWSL season against Angel City on March 17.