Mexico international star Lizbeth Ovalle is in "advanced talks" to join an NWSL club for a world-record transfer fee in women's soccer, sources told ESPN on Monday night.
Another source told ESPN that the Orlando Pride, the league's defending champion, have finished the transfer with Liga MX's Femenil Tigres for the winger.
A source told ESPN that the fee will be $1.5M. Multiple reports emerged out of Mexico earlier on Monday saying that the deal for Ovalle could be as high as $2M.
The current transfer record is held by Canadian international Olivia Smith after signing with Arsenal last month for a fee of £1 million (currently $1.34M).
The deal would make Ovalle the first men's or women's Mexican soccer player to earn the distinction of holding a world-record transfer fee. In addition, there is a 10% sell-on fee for Tigres, sources told ESPN.
Previously linked with Barcelona, the 25-year-old winger could soon join the NWSL champions that are currently third in the table with a record of 8W-4D-4L.
Ovalle has six Liga MX Femenil titles through Tigres, the lone club that she has represented since her 2017 professional debut. She also has three Campeon de Campeonas trophies.
At the national team level, she's earned over 50 appearances and finished as a member of the best XI in last year's Concacaf W Gold Cup. In the 2024 tournament, which Mexico finished as semifinalists, the winger made headlines with a highlight-worthy opening goal against the U.S. women's national team in a historic 2-0 victory.
Multiple sources confirmed to ESPN that Ovalle had several suitors in the NWSL, with as many as a half dozen teams in the league vying to secure her from Tigres during this window.
A source with knowledge of the deal also confirmed to ESPN that the $1.5 million transfer fee will be spread out equally over the three guaranteed years of Ovalle's contract.
The NWSL sets an annual net threshold on team transfer spending. This year's threshold is $550,000 per team. Earlier this year, the Pride transferred Brazilian midfielder Adriana to Saudi Arabia club Al Qadsiah FC for $500,000, a fee spread out over two years that gives Orlando additional transfer flexibility.