Jenna Nighswonger departs Gotham for Arsenal

United States' Jenna Nighswonger reacts during the international friendly women's soccer match between the Netherlands and the United States at the ADO Den Haag Stadium in The Hague, Netherlands, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File) — United States’ Jenna Nighswonger reacts during the international friendly women’s soccer match between the Netherlands and the United States at the ADO Den Haag Stadium in The Hague, Netherlands, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

By ANNE M. PETERSON

Former National Women’s Soccer League Rookie of the Year Jenna Nighswonger has joined Arsenal, the club announced Thursday.

Nighswonger has played for Gotham FC since the 2023 season. Arsenal will pay an undisclosed fee for the 24-year-old defender.

Nighswonger was on the United States squad that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer. She joins fellow American Emily Fox on the Women’s Super League team, which is currently fourth in the standings under coach Renee Slegers.

“I’ve always wanted to play in England and joining such a historic football club is a dream come true,” Nighswonger said in a statement. “I want to win trophies with this club and help the team in any way possible. It’s an incredible feeling to be able to call myself an Arsenal player and I can’t wait to get started.”

Nighswonger, who played on Florida State’s 2021 national championship team, was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NWSL draft. She appeared in 51 matches for Gotham, which won the 2023 league championship.

At the international level, Nighswonger has played in 18 matches for the United States, scoring a pair of goals.

Not PARSE.LY: NWSL soccer

In this Jan. 31, 2018, photo, Rob Cohen, who is spearheading Colorado's effort to secure an Olympic bid, poses in his office in lower downtown Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Owners of new Denver NWSL team plan dedicated stadium and facilities

Kansas City Current forward Temwa Chawinga (6) and Portland Thorns FC defender Reyna Reyes (2) chase after the ball during an NWSL soccer match at CPKC Stadium, March 16, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)

NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga signs contract extension with Kansas City Current

Alyssa Thompson, left, and her younger sister Gisele Thompson (right) speak to the media at the National Women’s Soccer League Media Day at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif., Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Anne M. Peterson)

Sisters Alyssa and Gisele Thompson sign contract extensions to stay with Angel City

“Jenna has had a great trajectory in the game and we’re delighted to bring her to Arsenal. Despite being only 24, she plays with great maturity and presence and knows what it takes to compete to win on the biggest stages at both domestic and national team level,” Slegers said.

Nighswonger is the latest NWSL player to head to Europe, following fellow national team defender Naomi Girma, who joined Chelsea from the San Diego Wave for a $1.1 million transfer fee. Brazilian forward Kerolin, the 2023 NWSL MVP, recently signed as a free agent with Manchester City after three seasons with the North Carolina Courage.

Paris Olympics

The Olympics are more than fun and games. They’re a billion-dollar business with political overtones.
Breakdance will make it’s debut as an Olympic sport in Paris.. Here’s what else will be different at this year’s games.
Follow all of AP’s coverage of the Summer Games.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Olympic Hightlights

1 of 7 |

FILE - South Africa’s Jacques Freitag competes in the men’s high jump of the 2004 Olympic Games, in the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Friday Aug. 20, 2004. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

2 of 7 |

FILE - Ilona Maher of USA is tackled by Sharni Williams of Australia in a semifinal of the Rugby World Cup 7’s championship held in Cape Town, South Africa, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022. The main task for Maher, the breakout social media star on TikTok at the Tokyo Olympics, is winning a medal in Paris. (AP Photo/Halden Krog, File)

3 of 7 |

FILE - Jacques Freitag of South Africa waves his national flag after he won the Men’s high jump event at the World Athletics Championships, at the Stade de France in Saint Denis, north of Paris, Monday, Aug. 25, 2003. Local media is reporting that South African police have discovered the body of former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag after he went missing last month. The reports said the 42-year-old, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)

4 of 7 |

Sammy Sullivan of USA in action during HSBC rugby sevens series in Singapore, on May 4, 2024. The anthem played as Army officer Sammy Sullivan stood to attention and saluted beside her U.S. rugby teammates before a gold-medal game in Hong Kong against Olympic champion New Zealand. No prizes for guessing where her mind may have drifted to: Paris in July. (AP Photo/Suhaimi Abdullah)

5 of 7 |

USA Water Polo Women’s Senior National Team attacker Ryann Neushul, left, trains at Long Beach City College Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Long Beach, Calif. Following in the footsteps of two older sisters who won gold with the U.S. women’s water polo team, Ryann Neushul is making her Olympic debut in Paris this summer. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

6 of 7 |

Iranian wrestler Iman Mahdavi, 28, practices at the Lotta Club Seggiano gym, in Pioltello , northern Italy, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

7 of 7 |

FILE - Steven van de Velde of the Netherlands competes during the CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup Vienna 2022 men’s semifinal game against Austria at the Red Bull Beach Arena in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Van de Velde, convicted and imprisoned eight years ago for raping an underage girl in England has qualified for the Paris Olympics. (AP Photo/Florian Schroetter, File)