By OkayGoal 
Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images
Another National Women’s Soccer League veteran may soon be returning to the U.S.
Gotham FC is in the lead to sign midfielder Denise O’Sullivan on loan from Liverpool for a €350,000 fee with obligation to buy, the Irish Times and ESPN reported Saturday. The contract would run through 2029 with a 2030 player option.
The 32-year-old Irish international left the NWSL in January for England’s Women’s Super League after nine years with the North Carolina Courage. O’Sullivan helped bring the Courage three NWSL Shields from 2017-2019 and two NWSL Championships in 2018 and 2019. She capped her time as the team’s captain and all-time leader in appearances.
Her six-month stint at Liverpool was less successful. The team won four out of 22 matches and finished second to last on the WSL table, one spot away from relegation.
O’Sullivan first arrived in the NWSL in 2016 and played for the Houston Dash before moving to the Courage as a waiver wire pickup.
The potential signing coincides with fellow veteran international Sam Kerr’s return to Gotham this month, after the club signed the Australian striker through 2030 on a free transfer.
Kerr, a two-time NWSL MVP and the league’s all-time regular season goalscoring record holder, returns to the U.S. after six years at Chelsea. Her preceding seven-season NWSL career included two years at Gotham’s previous iteration, Sky Blue FC from 2015-2017.
The high-profile signings have raised discussions of Gotham’s payroll, with the club currently operating at the $3.7 million salary cap maximum, though the High Impact Player rule has allowed Gotham to $1 million more on names like Rose Lavelle and Emily Sonnett.
“At Gotham, we view the salary cap as like a competitive weapon,” Gotham President of Soccer Operations Yael Averbuch West said following Kerr’s return. “We are relentless in finding ways, given the rules, whether it’s the cap itself, the High Impact Player Rule, all of the league rules — how can we optimize and pack the most talent into a really well balanced roster?”
The NWSL’s international transfer window opens Monday. Gotham’s game against the Washington Spirit on Tuesday at Citi Field, a rematch of the 2025 NWSL Championship, could be the first time O’Sullivan and Kerr see the pitch for the club.
