Hope Solo could be taking her show on the road this winter.
The U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper is a top transfer target for the women’s team at French club Paris Saint Germain (PSG), Soccer America reports.
“Jean-Michel Aulas, president of [rival French club] Lyon, told L’Equipe he expects PSG, backed by the Qatar Investment Authority, to launch a bid to sign several U.S. stars, most notably former Lyon goalie Hope Solo, when the winter transfer window opens,” the report says.
“[BeIN Sport] CEO Jean-Claude Blanc said PSG’s women’s team could be the ‘spearhead’ in the club’s bid to make a name for itself on the American market.”
Solo is riding the wave of publicity after the U.S. won Olympic gold in London. She has made several media appearances to promote her recently published autobiography, Solo: A Memoir of Hope. While the book has helped Solo gain increased fame and fortune (it debuted at No. 3 on the New York Times’ Best Seller List), she must still find a time and a place where she can keep her soccer skills sharp.
Solo is participating with the U.S. team on its victory tour, but her club future is somewhat uncertain. She spent part of 2012 playing in the USL’s W-League with the Seattle Sounders, but it is unknown if she will continue playing in the semi-professional league.
Since the demise of the WPS (a professional league in the U.S.) in 2011, Solo and other top American players are thought to be considering playing abroad. The women’s game is gaining popularity in France, Germany and Scandinavia, and many of the world’s best players are moving to clubs in those countries.
Solo has prior experience playing in France, having spent part of 2005 with Lyon. PSG has reportedly budgeted $5.7 million for its women’s team, making it possible to emulate its men’s program and sign world-class players.
Should Solo join PSG, it might be on a short-term basis, as there are plans to start a new professional league in the U.S. in the spring of 2013.
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Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@hopesolo
