United States women's national team midfielder Lily Yohannes is finalizing a move to French powerhouse OL Lyonnes, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN.

Lyonnes, the eight-time champions of Europe, have agreed to terms on a transfer with Ajax for the 18-year-old American. Yohannes is expected to finalize personal terms with Lyonnes in the coming days.

A source told ESPN that the fee is around €450k, with Ajax also receiving a percentage in a future transfer. Yohannes' contract with Ajax ran through June 2026.

English champions Chelsea were also in the running to sign Yohannes, sources previously told ESPN's Emily Keogh.

Yohannes has eight caps for the USWNT. She scored 10 minutes into her debut in June 2024 as a 17-year-old.

In November, Yohannes declared her decision to represent the United States internationally. She previously had not decided amid interest from the Netherlands, where she was reportedly in the process of securing Dutch citizenship.

Yohannes was born in Virginia and her family moved to the Netherlands when she was 10. She signed a professional contract with Ajax at age 15.

In 2023, when she was 16, Yohannes became the youngest player to ever start a UEFA Women's Champions League match when she started for Ajax in a 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain.

"She's got unbelievable maturity and coachability, and someone who I know is going to become an important part of our program," USWNT head coach Emma Hayes told reporters in May.

"But I'm invested in that development, and we have to be patient with that considering her tender age and her lack of international and high-level experience."

Also on Tuesday, Canada defender Ashley Lawrence left Chelsea to join OL Lyonnes after two years in west London.

Lawrence, 30, signed a three-year contract with the French powerhouse.

Source:
courtesy of ESPN

by Jeff Kassouf

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