The winter transfer window has been quite a whirlwind, with some shocking moves taking place. But if you thought that the dust had settled, you were wrong. Even more so if you thought people at Houston Dash would be sitting quietly just because the NWSL club may be on the verge of a sale. Because surprise, surprise! They have gone ahead and added some flair to their midfield!

The player in question? Swedish international Evelina Duljan. She arrives in H-town from Orlando Pride to become the eighth new signing of the club. The exact details of the move, including the transfer fee and the duration of the contract, however, haven’t been specified yet.

Dash president of Women’s Football, Angela Hucles Mangano expressed his delight with the arrival of the highly-rated midfielder. “We are excited to welcome Evelina to the team, she is a talented young player that brings extensive experience after beginning her professional career as a teenager,” said Mangano.

Duljan was just 14 when she kicked off her professional soccer journey at Kristianstads DFF, recording four goals and two assists in 52 games. Eventually, her soccer journey took her to Italy, where she played for Juventus U-19 before graduating to the senior squad with which she won the domestic cup in 2023.

Alongside the likes of Delanie Sheehan, Abby Smith, and Christen Westphal, the Swede becomes the sixth new addition to the Houston roster to have won the NWSL Championship. And she is raring to bring her dribbling game to the Texas-based club: “I am very excited to join the Houston Dash as they build a new identity under Angela and Fabrice. I look forward to meeting my teammates soon and meeting the fans at our first match of the year,” said Duljan, as stated on the club’s website.

She arrives at Dash just a week after they sold Tarciane, to Olympique Lyonnais Féminin for a record transfer fee in the club’s history. But for all the promise she holds, Duljan’s addition almost takes a backseat to the potential sale rumors of the club that have been flying around.

What’s with the potential sale of NWSL side Houston Dash?

Sportico’s Kurt Badenhausen previously reported that Houston Dash majority owner Ted Segal enlisted the expertise of renowned investment bank PJT Partners to “assess potential investment options” for the NWSL club. While Sportico estimates the team’s value at around $74 million, the Texas-based franchise ranks only 10th among the league’s most valuable teams. With revenue reaching just $7.6 million in 2024, the club’s financial challenges remain apparent.

Recognizing the growing investor interest in the NWSL, Segal highlighted that now is the perfect time to explore additional funding to secure the Dash’s long-term stability. However, he reassured in a statement that this evaluation process would not disrupt the team’s operations or soccer-related decisions. Additionally, the EJS Group founder and president anticipates that the review of these “strategic alternatives” will take several months to complete.

Even though this potential sale is still not going anywhere so far, the good thing is that Houston Dash isn’t wasting any time in strengthening itself.