United States women‘s national team winger Emma Sears has requested a trade from Racing Louisville FC, and several NWSL teams have expressed serious interest in acquiring her services, multiple sources told ESPN.
Sources said that Racing Louisville is not entertaining a midseason transfer for Sears, however, with one source adding that the team could be more open to an offseason move.
Sears is Racing Louisville’s star forward and the team’s only current player who regularly receives call-ups to the USWNT. Sears has two goals and three assists in 10 games for Louisville this season.
Sears, 25, signed a new contract with the team in October. The deal runs through the 2028 NWSL season.
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Multiple sources told ESPN that a potential transfer for Sears could surpass a $1 million fee.
Sears has scored six goals in 21 appearances for the USWNT since making her international debut in October 2024. She is among several players in her position fighting for a role with the USWNT at the 2027 World Cup.
Racing Louisville is currently in last place in the 16-team NWSL. Louisville has secured only two victories and seven points from 11 games thus far this season. Racing resumes play on Sunday on the road against the Portland Thorns, who are one point off the top of the table.
Regular season play gets back underway this weekend after a monthlong break for the 2026 men’s World Cup, which occupies several NWSL stadiums and training venues.
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Racing made the NWSL playoffs for the first time last year after four consecutive ninth-place finishes. The team’s success coincided with Sears’ breakout: She scored 10 goals in 26 games, tied for fourth-best in the league.
There are also questions away from the field for Louisville. ESPN reported in May that Racing Louisville is seeking new investment in the team.
Multiple sources told ESPN at the time that the team could be sold, but chairman John Neace told ESPN through a spokesperson that he has no intention of selling controlling ownership of the team or relocating the franchise.
Louisville ranks near the bottom of the NWSL in attendance, with about 5,000 fans per game.
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The NWSL’s free agency period opened on Wednesday, meaning players whose contracts expire this year are free to negotiate and sign with other teams.
The NWSL’s transfer window opens on July 14, but intra-league trades are permissible at any time up until the Oct. 8 roster freeze.
Intra-league trades are common in the NWSL and have increasingly been structured as traditional transfers since the new collective bargaining agreement was ratified in 2024. The new CBA requires players to approve trades.
