Bay FC has agreed to a deal to sign United States winger Jenna Nighswonger from Arsenal in a move worth around $200,000, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN.
Nighswonger’s move to Bay FC brings her back to the National Women’s Soccer League, where she won a championship and rapidly rose to the international ranks with the USWNT.
Nighswonger has made 20 appearances for the United States and scored two goals. She was part of the USWNT’s 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning team.
She had a challenging stint in England and spent the first half of 2026 on loan with Aston Villa. Nighswonger played in eight league matches for Aston Villa after arriving at the Women’s Super League club on loan in January.
Aston Villa had an option to buy Nighswonger’s contract on a permanent transfer following the loan spell but declined, one source told ESPN.
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Gotham sold Nighswonger to Arsenal in January 2025 for a fee of about $100,000.
She only played in five league matches for Arsenal since joining the squad in January 2025. She was with Arsenal for the team’s 2025 UEFA Women’s Champions League title, which culminated with a 1-0 victory over Barcelona in the final. (Nighswonger did not appear in the competition.)
Gotham FC selected Nighswonger with the No. 4 overall pick in 2023 NWSL Draft and she played in 20 matches that regular season and started all three playoff games as Gotham won its first NWSL Championship in 2023. She was named NWSL Rookie of the Year.
Nighswonger received her first call-up to the United States that fall and made her senior international debut in December 2023.
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She made an immediate impression on interim USWNT coach Twila Kilgore and incoming head coach Emma Hayes. Nighswonger played in five of the USWNT’s six games at the 2024 Olympics, all off the bench, on the team’s run to an Olympic gold medal.
Her last appearance for the U.S. was in February 2025.
Nighswonger was a forward in college for NCAA powerhouse Florida State, where she won a national championship in 2021. She was a 2022 finalist for the Hermann Trophy, given to college soccer’s best player.
Gotham utilized Nighswonger primarily as a full-back in her rookie year, and she has primarily played full-back and wing-back for club and country since.
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Bay FC is 5-3-9 (W-D-L) with 18 pts. and ranks 14th of 16 teams in the NWSL. The team continues to rebuild under first-year head coach Emma Coates.
United States midfielder Claire Hutton joined in the offseason, and the summer arrival of Nighswonger comes after the recent acquisition of attacking midfielder Kennedy Fuller from Angel City FC. Bay FC also announced the recent acquisition of Argentine forward Agostina Holzheier.
Nighswonger will likely compete for one of the full-back roles as Bay tries to improve on both sides of the ball. Bay’s defensive record is equal to or better than several teams surrounding them in the table, but they have scored the second fewest goals in the league — 18 scored in 17 games.
ESPN’s Emily Keogh contributed to this report.
