Sam Kerr has been heavily linked to a move to the USA’s National Women’s Soccer League next season, but a new salary cap rule in the league could be a significant obstacle.
The 32-year-old is yet to confirm what her future in the game looks like beyond this season, with her current deal at Chelsea set to expire in a matter of weeks.
A one-year deal could be on offer to stay at Chelsea, but that would be deemed “disrespectful” by football great Ian Wright given lucrative long-term deals that are being tabled elsewhere.
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Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor has refused to discuss the future of many key stars like Kerr this week, stating that she would rather keep contract talks private.
But The Athletic reports that Kerr is expected to depart Chelsea for the NWSL.
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Sam Kerr in action for Chelsea. WSL Football via Getty Images
It is unclear exactly which NWSL team Kerr would land at, with Wright backing any player who makes the move and accepts one of the “life-changing” deals on offer.
Many of those deals have come courtesy of the new high impact player rule (HIP), but Kerr does not qualify in that salary cap bracket, despite her superstar status.
Who qualifies for the NWSL high impact player cap?
The HIP rule is designed to retain and attract high quality talent to the United States all the while increasing the standard of the NWSL.
As per the new guidelines, the HIP rule allows each club to exceed their salary cap by $1.4m AUD to secure a player that meets at least one of the following criteria.
The player is listed on the SportsPro Media top 150 most marketable athletes withing a year prior to the current seasonThe player is selected in the top 30 Ballon d’Or voting in the two years prior to the current league seasonThe player is selected in the top 40 of the Guardian’s top 100 footballers in the world in the two years prior to the current league seasonThe player is selected in the top 40 of the ESPN’s top 50 footballers in the world in the two years prior to the current seasonThe player is selected as the NWSL MVP finalist within the past two league seasonsThe player was selected in the NWSL best XI first team within the past two years
Kerr has represented three NWSL teams in the past, including the Chicago Red Stars. Getty
US women’s national team players can also fall under the HIP rule via additional criteria.
How must the $1.4m be used?
The additional $1.4m does not have to be used solely on one player, it can be split between multiple players if the club wishes. Players that fall into that part of the budget must attract a minimum of 12 per cent of the base salary cap.
That means a team with a base salary cap of $5m, for example, would have to offer a minimum deal of $600,000 to a high impact player. If the deal is higher than that amount, the remaining money can be sourced from the traditional salary cap.
Kerr does not meet any of the above criteria.
Steph Catley is the only Australian that would be eligible under the HIP rule as she was nominated in the top 30 for the Ballon d’Or Feminin last year.
The ‘Trinity Rodman’ rule
The HIP rule gained mass attention after Trinity Rodman, the daughter of NBA legend Dennis, re-signed at the Washington Spirit, becoming the first player to utilise the high impact player rule.
Rodman inked a three-year deal worth roughly $2.8m AUD per season in January, meaning she would become the highest paid player in women’s football.
Trinity Rodman warms up for the Washington Spirit. NWSL via Getty Images
That salary puts her in a bracket well clear of even the highest paid players in England’s Women’s Super League, with Kerr reportedly the highest paid player in that competition on a deal that is reportedly worth $900,000.
There was mass speculation that the introduction of the HIP rule was accelerated to ensure Rodman, a superstar in America, could be retained. The NSWL heavily disputed that claim.
Still, some retired stars are curious as to why the salary cap didn’t expand instead.
Retired Spirit player Tori Huster claimed the rule was “unfair” when it was first revealed as it excluded a large group of superstars from coming to the NWSL. Not only that, many current NWSL stars could be on higher wages but do not meet that criteria.
“I don’t think there should be a separate pot of money for a subjective list of criteria that excludes a lot of really good athletes,” Huster said.
“A lot of these players have spent their career in the NWSL, too.”
The NWSL has confirmed that the threshold for the HIP rule will increase year by year.
Possible landing spots for Kerr
It is clear that Bompastor is looking to transition her Chelsea squad to be more focused on the next generation, despite the success of her experienced stars.
She has already let Guro Reiten depart the club to join Gotham FC and is rumoured to be losing club captain Millie Bright at season’s end. Catarina Macario is also reportedly set to ink the largest contract of any player in the women’s game and move to the San Diego Wave on a salary of $11m across five years.
Kerr has not played enough football to prove that she is still among the best players in the world since returning from a two-year layoff due to an ACL injury. There is also no doubt, however, that if she were to depart the club that other English teams would swoop.
Kerr (left) poses with her wife and former Gotham FC player Kristie Mewis. PA Images via Getty Images
If a move overseas was on the cards, the United States would make sense, as that is the home nation of Kerr’s wife and fellow footballer Kristie Mewis.
Even though she has not meet the requirements of the HIP rule, Kerr can still make the move to the United States if she secures a contract within the traditional salary cap.
Former American professional Kelley O’Hara hopes that Kerr moves to New York, while her former US teammate Ali Riley wants to see the Australian play in Los Angeles.
O’Hara went as far as to reveal on the Just Women’s Sports podcast that she had messaged Mewis to tell her to return to her former club Gotham FC with Kerr.
“I literally said, ‘If you, Sam and Jagger go anywhere but New York I will be upset’,” the two-time World Cup champion said, laughing.
Riley acknowledged that the Boston Legacy may be a better chance of securing Kerr due to the expansion money the new franchise could throw in her direction.
It is unclear which other NWSL teams are interested.