Gotham FC have completed the signing of Sam Kerr from Chelsea, with the Australian forward committing to the club until 2030, bringing one of women’s soccer’s most accomplished players back to the National Women’s Soccer League.
Kerr joins Gotham as a free agent following the expiration of her contract with Chelsea and returns to the club where she previously starred from 2015 to 2017 when the franchise was known as Sky Blue FC. The 32-year-old is expected to join the club in July pending international transfer clearance.
The signing gives Gotham a major addition in attack as the club looks to improve its offensive production after scoring just 12 goals through its first 11 matches of the 2026 NWSL season.
“I’m incredibly excited to return to Gotham FC and to this city,” Kerr said. “This club was an important part of my journey, and to come back at this moment, with everything Gotham has built, is really special. The ambition here is clear, and I’m looking forward to helping this team compete for trophies and create more history.”
Kerr returns as the NWSL’s all-time leading regular-season scorer and begins her third stint in the league after previously playing for Sky Blue and later the Chicago Red Stars. During her two seasons in Chicago, she scored 35 goals in 43 appearances before making the move to England.
Her first spell in New Jersey helped establish her as one of the league’s brightest stars. Kerr scored 28 goals in 40 appearances for Sky Blue, including a historic 2017 campaign in which she scored a then-NWSL record 17 goals while winning both the Golden Boot and league MVP honors.
“Sam is one of the defining players of her generation and a game-changing talent who has consistently delivered at the highest levels of world football,” Gotham president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West said. “Her winning mentality, relentless competitiveness and ability to decide matches in an instant make her one of the most impactful players in the game. Bringing Sam back to Gotham is a landmark moment for our club, and we couldn’t be more excited.”
After leaving the NWSL, Kerr spent seven successful seasons with Chelsea and established herself as one of the world’s top forwards. She won five Women’s Super League titles, three FA Cups and three League Cups while helping Chelsea reach the UEFA Women’s Champions League final.
Kerr scored 116 goals in 158 appearances for Chelsea and finished level with Fran Kirby as the club’s all-time leading scorer of the Women’s Super League era. She won consecutive WSL Golden Boot awards in 2021 and 2022 before earning both WSL Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Women’s Footballer of the Year honors the following season.
Her individual success extended globally. Kerr finished third in Ballon d’Or voting in consecutive years before placing second in 2023. She remains the only player in women’s soccer history to win Golden Boot awards in three different leagues across three continents.
Kerr now joins a Gotham side looking for additional attacking firepower and reunites with former Chelsea teammates Jess Carter, Ann-Katrin Berger and Guro Reiten as the club continues building toward another trophy push this season.
