Chelsea star Catarina Macario is reportedly the subject of interest from National Women’s Soccer League side Bay FC.
Bay FC hold preliminary talks with Catarina Macario
The agent of Catarina Macario, Alan Naigeon, told the San Francisco Chronicle that talks with Bay FC are in “preliminary phases”.
Macario has long been the subject of interest from clubs in the NWSL.
A move has been made more likely due to the NWSL’s introduction of the High Impact Player rule.
This allows clubs to exceed the league’s salary cap by up to $1 million (£741,600) for ‘high-impact’ players. The salary cap stood at $3.5m (£2.6m) during the 2025 season.
The Chronicle reported that Macario has been a target for Bay FC since “day one”.
Bay FC are keen to strengthen their side after a tough 2025 NWSL campaign.
The San Francisco-based side finished 13th and missed the playoffs, taking just four wins from 26 appearances.
This marked a big drop from 2024, when they made the playoffs in seventh place. That season, they were ultimately eliminated by the Washington Spirit during the playoffs.
Macario can sign a pre-contract on January 1st
Chelsea face a fight on their hands to keep Macario next season.
Her contract with the reigning Women’s Super League champions expires on July 1st, 2026.
This means clubs overseas can sign Macario to a pre-contract anytime from January 1st.
Macario, therefore, could leave the club on a free transfer, unless she signs a new deal or leaves the club during the January transfer window.
Macario’s Chelsea career
Macario, who was born in Brazil but plays for the USWNT, joined Chelsea in 2023.
She joined the Blues on a free transfer after spending two years at French giants Lyon.
Macario didn’t make her debut until March 2024, after returning from an ACL injury, which she picked up in June 2022 while still at Lyon.
She made an immediate impact, scoring six minutes into her debut against Leicester and netting again in her second game, which was an FA Cup triumph over Everton.
Macario enjoyed a successful year in 2024-25 where the Blues won a domestic treble.
The 26-year-old scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 32 appearances across all competitions.
This season, she has two goals and two assists in 11 appearances across all competitions but is not a guaranteed starter for Sonia Bompastor’s side.
