Sam Kerr’s ACL injury not only put Chelsea in a perilous position in no longer being able to call on one of only a handful of world class strikers, but also created a depth problem. In weeks since the injury Emma Hayes tried to cope by trying Lauren James at the 9, which is not where you want Lauren James to be or what you want her to be doing.

So Hayes and Chelsea scouts looked at the calendar, saw the January transfer window was open, scoured a few leagues, then smacked their foreheads simultaneously and belted “MAYRA RAMÍREZ!” in unison. I wasn’t there and there’s no way I can prove that this is what happened, but it’s canon in my mind and nothing’s stopping it from being canon in yours too.

what does she do

Get ready to learn gym memberships, center backs in the WSL. Ramírez was one of the standout players in the 2023 World Cup and I was quite annoyed that no one made a move in the aftermath of the tournament. Peak World Cup performers getting bags is football heritage, but apart from Esmee Brugts’ move to Barcelona and Thembi Kgatlana getting the bag from Tigres, not much happened.

Ramírez was vital to Colombia’s shock defeat of Germany. One way to look at it is that since then we’ve seen that German side flounder a lot since then, even failing to get out of their group. Another way to look at it is that Ramírez, Linda Caicedo and Colombia broke them. This is the version of history I believe in, and I may not be alone.

She consistently ragdolled German defenders at the World Cup, using her strength and adept holdup play that allowed Colombia to defend with numbers and still get forward to be dangerous in attack. Don’t let the physicality fool you though, she’s also much more than that.

Ramírez combines her 5’10 physical presence with quick feet, clever linkup play, and a powerful shot. Barcelona’s domination of Liga F can skew the quality of the league, but don’t fall into the trap, there’s quality in the top third of the table. Since joining Levante in 22/23, Ramírez’s 14 goals & 11 assists in 27 starts helped them secure third, and her six goals in 7 appearances (six starts) had Levante 2nd at the time of her exit.

Being able to move or hold defenders where she want while also moving the ball wherever she wants is a dangerous combination. And it only took her eight minutes into her Chelsea debut versus Brighton to show this skill to supporters.

She doesn’t mind the dirty work of holdup play and will do it centrally or by drifting to the right. She also has quick enough feet to turn and face up defenders, so can be played in inverted winger spaces, or maybe even in a strike partnership (hint: 😈).

what it took

Chelsea had to come near (and possibly exceed if all add-ons are paid) Barcelona’s record fee for Keira Walsh. The Blues reportedly dropped €450k, and will owe another €50k if certain conditions are met.

how she fits

Not gonna lie to y’all, with Hayes anything is possible. It’s been clear that Mia Fishel isn’t fully trusted yet, which is fine, it took Hayes a year to buildup Lauren James to full trust and integration and it paid off. Sjoeke Nüsken also hasn’t become as integral as everyone expected. Even Ashley Lawrence has only started four league games. Hayes may only has a few months left as Chelsea manager, but it’s not unusual to see her take her time with new signings.

This is why it will be so interesting to see what she does with Ramírez this season. Her experience in Europe and performance at the World Cup may make her the starter over Fishel once she’s gotten enough time on the training ground. But I also think Ramírez gives Hayes the opportunity to be real bullies deep in the Champions League.

If you don’t have your world class striker to pop up with goals, and you can’t always risk giving Lauren James complete freedom, maybe you put Ramírez and Fishel on the pitch at the same time and get to whoopin all sorts of ass. I assure you there’s not a backline on the planet that would have a good time defending those two at the same time.

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