Letting go of Naomi Girma would have possibly been one of the toughest calls for the San Diego Waves to make. But when the opposition is Chelsea—offering not just a lucrative contract but also over $1 million as a transfer fee—along with a player open to change, the outcome is obvious, isn’t it? While Girma’s exit seemed to leave a void impossible to fill, the Waves have proved the naysayers wrong by allegedly spending $150,000.

Yes, you heard it right. The protagonist here is Daniela Arias, a Colombian defender who has officially been acquired from Corinthians Femenino. The announcement was made on Wednesday, March 26, and has left many pondering how they managed to sign a player two days after the American women’s league transfer window shut down. However, San Diego has reassured that the deal was already done before that.

Though some parts of the transfer still haven’t been straightened out yet, that’s because the deal is awaiting approval of her P-1 Visa. Rest assured, a two-year contract has been signed by Arias through the 2026 season. There is also a mutual option to extend until 2027 as well. But on another interesting note, the California-based club has not disclosed the renumeration details for Arias. Yet, according to Jeff Kassouf and other sources, it lies somewhere around $150,000.

“Daniela is a proven talent with strong defensive instincts and a winning mentality,” said Sporting Director and General Manager Camille Ashton. “Her experience and presence on the backline will be a great asset to our team, and we’re excited to welcome her to San Diego.” 

A sigh of relief mostly comes from the Waves’ new boss and former Arsenal head coach, Jonas Eidevall. Already, the pre-season saw him work without Naomi Girma. The 24-year-old was touted to further keep leading the San Diego’s backline for more years but the move to Europe was already on her mind. Additionally, they also lost center-back Abby Dahlkemper to Bay FC.

This left Eidevall with the only options of Kennedy Wesley and Kristen McNabb to start as key defenders. However, the addition of Daniela Arias surely adds more depth to their center-back placements. Speaking of which, let’s get to know more about the new signing.

More about San Diego Wave’s latest replacement for Naomi Girma

Daniela Arias spent the previous season competing in Brazil’s top-tier league, Brasileirão Feminino A1. The Colombian international was able to make 25 appearances including 20 as a starter across all competitions. The 30-year-old played a crucial role in Corinthians’ dominant season, helping them claim the 2024 Brasileirão National Championship, 2024 Copa Libertadores, and the 2024 Supercopa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino. She also earned the Defender of the Year honors in the Brasileirão.

Prior to her stint in Brazil, Arias enjoyed a couple of seasons (2021, 2023) with Colombia’s Liga Femenina side América de Cali. During this time, she was compelled to spend the majority of the 2022 campaign with Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil side Club Pachuca. Meanwhile, her other career spells were with Atlético Junior (2020), Independiente Medellín (2019), and Atlético Bucaramanga (2017-18).

Speaking on the international front, Daniela Arias has also been playing a key role in the rise of Colombia’s women’s national team. Having earned her debut in 2018, the veteran center-back has earned over 50 caps. During this journey, she was able to represent her country in major tournaments, including the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. But success only came in the 2019 Pan American Games, where she helped Colombia secure a gold medal.

Honestly, Daniela Arias’ CV looks quite impressive. And there’s no doubt why San Diego Wave decided to sign her. But the biggest thing would be to see whether she is able to fill the void that Naomi Girma or even Abby Dahlkemper has left.