Tottenham Hotspur have signed France defender Alice Sombath from Lyonnes for a club-record fee, the club announced on Wednesday. The 22-year-old becomes Spurs' sixth signing of the summer transfer window, with the price undisclosed but exceeding the previous record of more than £375,000 paid for Signe Gaupset in January.
Sombath's career and ambitions
Sombath spent six years at Lyonnes, the eight-time European champions, after joining from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020. During her time there, she won the Champions League in her second season, featuring twice and being on the bench in the final, along with five league titles and two Coupe de France titles.
“The league is very competitive, every game is a tough game and that’s what I’m most excited about,” Sombath said. “I saw that Spurs had a very good season last year. My qualities can bring something to the team, even though I know they already have a lot.”
Coach's praise and squad building
Head coach Martin Ho said the defender “fits the profile of what we’re building. She has already shown real maturity in her performances and we believe she has all the qualities to continue developing into a top player within our environment. Alice is an aggressive defender who is comfortable in possession, competitive in her duels and has the ambition to keep improving every day.”
Sombath joins Shekiera Martinez, Kirsty Hanson, Victoria Pelova, Caitlin Dijkstra and Selma Panengstuen as Spurs' summer additions. The club secured all six priority targets early, allowing for a full pre-season.
Recent performance and league context
Tottenham finished fifth in the Women's Super League last season, a significant improvement from 11th the previous year. They were four points behind fourth-placed Manchester United but 19 adrift of champions Manchester City.
