Home
United States women’s national team right back Emily Fox is the latest American player to make the switch from NWSL to Europe. Fox left the North Carolina Courage to join Women’s Super League side Arsenal.
Welcome to The Arsenal, Emily Fox ✍️
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) January 11, 2024
She isn’t the first USWNT player to move overseas this winter as Kristie Mewis transferred to West Ham last month. Do we have a new trend on our hands of USWNT players moving to Europe?
First let’s look at how many USWNT players play in Europe right now.
How many USWNT players play in Europe
- Emily Fox — Arsenal
- Kristie Mewis — West Ham
- Lindsey Horan — Lyon
- Mia Fishel — Chelsea
- Catarina Macario — Chelsea
- Korbin Albert — PSG
Incoming USWNT head coach Emma Hayes has gone on record to say that too many national players only playing in the NWSL isn’t a good thing.
“There's still a huge amount of talent in this U.S. team, but with so many of the squad playing solely in the NWSL, it doesn't offer enough diversity to their squad in terms of playing against different styles,” Hayes wrote in an opinion piece for the Telegraph. “Here in Europe, where you're playing in different competitions, Champions League or cups, players aren't going to be fazed by other things because they come up against different football week in, week out.”
This idea of a difference in styles between the NWSL and Europe was reiterated by Fox during an interview with Morning Footy on CBS.
"It's a little bit more tactical, more methodical, you have to break down teams more." @___emilyfox on what she sees in the differences between ⚽️ abroad and the game in the US. pic.twitter.com/Zl8XaGApBZ
— Attacking Third (@AttackingThird) January 12, 2024
USWNT players in England’s top league has seen an ebb and flow over the past seven years. There was a big spike several years ago that saw Alex Morgan, Rose Lavelle, Christen Press, Tobin Heath, Crystal Dunn, Sam Mewis and Abby Dahlkemper all competing in the WSL at some point.
Will Fox and Mewis be the beginning of another surge of USWNT players to Europe?
