Bay FC have completed the permanent signing of United States international Jenna Nighswonger from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee.
The 25-year-old defender has signed a three-year contract through the end of the 2028 NWSL season. Her move brings an end to a spell in England that included five appearances for Arsenal and a loan at Aston Villa.
Nighswonger returns to a competition in which she has already won a championship, collected major individual awards and established herself as one of its best young players.
Transfer Snapshot
- Player: Jenna Nighswonger
- Age: 25
- Position: Defender
- From: Arsenal
- To: Bay FC
- Transfer type: Permanent
- Fee: Undisclosed
- Contract: Through the 2028 NWSL season
- Previous NWSL club: Gotham FC
- United States honours: 2024 Olympic gold medallist
- NWSL honours: 2023 champion and Rookie of the Year
A Return to Proven Ground
Jenna Nighswonger’s first spell in the NWSL established expectations that her move to Arsenal never had the opportunity to fulfil.
Selected fourth overall by Gotham FC in the 2023 NWSL Draft, she won the championship and Rookie of the Year award during her debut season. She was also selected for the NWSL Best XI Second Team.
Her second campaign confirmed that the breakthrough was sustainable. Nighswonger appeared in all 26 regular-season matches as Gotham reached the semi-finals and earned a place in the league’s Best XI First Team.
She left for Arsenal in January 2025 having made 46 regular-season appearances across two campaigns. Bay FC are therefore signing a player with established NWSL pedigree rather than one who must learn the league from the beginning.
Why Her Arsenal Move Did Not Produce Regular Football
Nighswonger joined Arsenal midway through the 2024/25 season, which ended with the London club winning the Women’s Champions League.
However, she made only five appearances for Arsenal and was unable to secure a regular position. The difference between being part of an elite squad and playing consistently became increasingly important as her second season approached.
A loan to Aston Villa during the latter half of 2025/26 gave her more opportunities. She played eight times, starting five matches and contributing one assist under Natalia Arroyo.
That spell provided useful WSL minutes, but it did not alter the longer-term picture at Arsenal. A permanent transfer offers Nighswonger greater clarity than returning to compete for an uncertain role in London.
Bay FC Gain More Than Reputation
Jenna Nighswonger’s arrival gives head coach Emma Coates a player with experience in two demanding leagues and a record of contributing in different phases of play.
Coates described her as a defender capable of providing quality on both sides of the ball, while also highlighting her football intelligence and character. Those qualities explain why Bay FC have committed to a contract running through 2028. At 25, Nighswonger combines experience with the possibility of entering the most productive years of her career.
Her familiarity with the NWSL should reduce the adaptation period. She already understands the travel, physical demands and stylistic variety of the competition, while her time with Arsenal and Aston Villa has exposed her to another footballing environment.
International Success Raised the Standard
Nighswonger’s club breakthrough coincided with a rapid rise for the United States. She helped the national team win three trophies in 2024: the Concacaf W Gold Cup, SheBelieves Cup and Olympic gold medal in Paris. Those achievements strengthened her reputation before she moved to England.
Her challenge now is to rebuild comparable momentum at club level.
The limited number of appearances she made across two seasons in England means Bay FC are not simply acquiring the résumé she created with Gotham and the national team. They are also signing a player who needs regular football to re-establish her weekly influence.
A Transfer That Could Suit Both Sides
Arsenal release a player who had not secured a consistent role, while Bay FC acquire a former NWSL champion whose best club football has so far been played in the United States. Jenna Nighswonger was direct about her ambition after completing the move.
“I’m really excited to return to the NWSL and begin this next chapter with Bay FC,” she said. “I have a lot of confidence in what this group can accomplish moving forward, and I’m ready to get to work and help the team compete.”
The three-year agreement gives her time to become a central part of the project rather than treating Bay FC as a short-term landing place.
Her move to Arsenal was built on the promise created at Gotham. Her return will reveal how much the experience in England has added to the player coming back.
Source: Bay FC
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