What does Sam Coffey’s move mean for Manchester City — and the NWSL? – Equalizer Soccer

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Sam Coffey’s move to Manchester City, confirmed on Wednesday, is big news for everyone involved.

It’s hard, if not completely impossible, to spin the deal as a positive for the National Women’s Soccer League, or for the Portland Thorns. After all, this is yet another top class U.S. women’s national team international choosing the Women’s Super League over the NWSL, following on from Emily Fox’s move to Arsenal, and Alyssa Thompson joining Naomi Girma at Chelsea. 

As for the player, this change of scenery represents a chance to obtain the global recognition she has fully deserved and far too often not received.

Coffey has often been glaringly underrated in the annual Guardian Top 100, whose inclusion in the NWSL’s High Impact Player methodology is contentious due to a perceived European bias. Coffey ranked 55th in 2025’s rankings, with four other defensive midfielders — Patri Guijarro, Keira Walsh, Kim Little and her new teammate Yui Hasegawa — ahead of her, all plying their trade in England or Spain. The year before, when Coffey played a key role in the USWNT’s Olympic Gold win, she ranked 89th.