Everton Women have signed Kenza Dali on a free transfer from West Ham United ahead of 2021-22 Women’s Super League season.
Dali is Everton’s first transfer signing of the summer window after scoring 13 goals in 44 appearances across the last two seasons at West Ham, and has put pen to paper on a two-year deal with the Toffees until June 2023.
Speaking to evertontv, Dali spoke of feeling “happy” to have signed for Everton and believes that the move was “a big decision” for her in terms of the club fitting her style of being someone “who loves to have the ball, to play in possession” like Everton play a “always attacking, always looking to score” brand of football.
Dali will now link up with her fellow France international teammate, Valerie Gauvin but can’t wait to meet the other players, with Izzy Christiansen singled out for praise given her experience of playing at Lyon in France and believes that the pair “can have a really good relationship.”
The 29 year-old however is aware that the squad is full of great players and believes that they could be a quality team to watch this season, commenting: “We’re all attacking players and I think it’s going to be really good to play together.”
Everton Women’s Manager, Willie Kirk described Dali’s arrival as “a fantastic addition to the squad” and fits his midfield vision, saying: “We want all of our midfielders to possess slightly different characteristics from each other and Kenza is a good example of that.”
Kirk also noted Dali’s versatility of playing in a eight or ten role as well as out wide, especially if the tactics depending on opposition require someone to cut in from the flanks, in order to pick up “pockets of space” and act as “a big threat in the final third.”
On his expectations of Dali in terms of contributions towards goal, Kirk was confident that she would be influential “without a doubt” whether she is scoring goals herself or providing assists for her teammates.
The 2021-22 Women’s Super League (WSL) season kicks off across the weekend of 3-5 September 2021, with a new era of WSL broadcasting coverage launching this season as Sky Sports joins existing rights holders – BBC in transmitting selected matches under a new and improved deal.
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