As we wait for the 2026/27 season to kick off, the Barclays Women’s Super League 2 is preparing to welcome a whole host of fresh talent ready to make their mark on the second tier.
Three newly-promoted teams, Watford, Burnley, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, will grace the WSL2, joining an increasingly competitive division. Alongside them, established WSL2 clubs have secured new investment and strengthened their teams, making impressive signings from across England and Europe. From prolific strikers to experienced internationals, the upcoming WSL2 season will be one to watch.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the names who could be making a significant impact on the competition.
Burnley – Charlie Chadwick
Charlie’s inclusion in this list is an obvious one, seeing as she helped Burnley soar to promotion to the WSL2 in the previous season. She joined in 2024 from Liverpool U21s, spending time on loan at Halifax, before returning to play for the Clarets in January 2026. Her competition scoresheet boasts 18 goals and 11 assists, making it clear why Burnley were eager to retain Chadwick for another two years.
Her contract extension, signed in July 2026, comes at a pivotal time, as top goalscorer Millie Ravening has recently departed from the club. The coming season will be significant for Chadwick as she settles into the new tier.
“Next season will be a big challenge but we deserve to be there, and we’re all ready for it.”
Watford – Eva Gray
Eva Gray played a significant role in helping Watford secure promotion to the WSL2 last season. Across 25 appearances, Gray helped herself to eight assists, scoring one of her own in a match against AFC Wimbledon in January. As a result, she was named Watford’s Young Player of the Season.
She originally came to Watford in 2025, as part of a dual-registration deal with Arsenal, before signing permanently this summer following her release by the Gunners. Gray trained at the Arsenal Academy and was a part of the England Women’s team that placed fourth in the 2024 Women’s Under-17 World Cup.
After helping the Golden Girls to the National League Southern Premier Division title, Gray then went on to sit her A-Level exams, demonstrating the hard work and dedication the young wingback is evidently capable of.
Nottingham Forest – Tuva Espås
Tuva Espås recently joined Nottingham Forest on a two-year deal, after departing from her home nation’s side Vålerenga Damer. This will be Espås’ first professional contract outside of Norway, meaning this season will be a meaningful one.
“This is huge for me, to move over here and play football in a new country. It feels like good timing, the club is huge, I have met the girls and the staff, and I am looking forward to getting to know them more and settling into the group.”
She arrives with a wealth of experience under her belt. She spent almost eight years at Røa IL, helping the team return to Norway’s premier division, Toppserien, in 2021, scoring 13 goals in 17 matches. With Vålerenga, Espås made two appearances in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and scored five goals in 14 games last season.
Leicester City – Paulina Nyström
Paulina Nyström is a 25-year-old powerhouse who will be set to play a role in Leicester City’s hopeful return to the WSL. A Finland international, her footballing repertoire is impressively stacked, with experience across some of Europe’s biggest leagues. Nyström began her professional career in the top-tier Swedish league, Damallsvenskan, at Vittsjö GIK. She went on to play at Lörby IF and Eskiltuna United, before making 23 appearances for Italy’s Serie A side Juventus in the 2022- 2024 seasons.
She most recently was part of the victorious BK Häcken team that saw UEFA Women’s Europe Cup glory in 2025/26, scoring 20 times in 67 games.
Upon the departure of key players like Shannon O’Brien and Noemie Mouchon, it is hoped Nyström will have a big impact for the Foxes in the upcoming season.
Bristol City – Eilidh Shore
For the upcoming season, Bristol City are considered the team to beat. They finished fourth last season, proving they have what it takes to make a genuine push for promotion to the WSL.
In their ranks, they have a player dubbed one of the best midfielders in Scotland. Eilidh Shore has joined Bristol City Women on a two-year deal, coming from Scottish Women’s Premier League team Hearts of Midlothian Women (Hearts). She is a regular feature for the Scottish national team, having made appearances for the U17s and U19s, and is currently the U23s captain, demonstrating her unwavering hard work, leadership, and consistency.
She leaves Hearts after helping them secure their first-ever SWPL title, racking up 18 goals and 12 assists across 113 games for both Hearts and Aberdeen, where she had previously played.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting the girls and just getting going. The facilities here are amazing, from the pitches to the gym; it’s just top quality here, and I’m really excited to get started.”
Ipswich Town – Rosie Livingstone
Another new recruit from the SWPL is Rosie Livingstone, who joins five additional players arriving from the SWPL to Ipswich Town this summer. Since joining Hibernian in 2021, Livingstone went on to make 101 appearances and score 22 goals. In her most recent season, she scored seven goals and provided 13 assists in 35 appearances. Her performances earned her Hibernian’s Player of the Year, as well as a nomination for the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year Award.
She plays alongside Bristol City’s Eilidh Shore in the Scotland U23s, having also made appearances for her country at U17 and U19 level.
Wolves – Anna Morphet
Growing up in black and gold, Morphet has been the captain of Wolves Women since 2024. She retained the title of skipper for the 2025/26 season, despite injury, and captained her team to WSL2 promotion for the first time.
She arrived at Wolves from Aston Villa in 2018, and has since become a trusted club stalwart. In October 2024, she made history as the first women’s player to sign on contracted terms with Wolves, and has continued to display her significance to manager Dan McNamara’s side.
Morphet is a former Welsh youth international, having made appearances at the UEFA Women’s Youth Championship in 2017.
She is also a multi pronged player, not only providing a superb defensive presence but also having netted 55 goals herself, in her first 170 appearances.
Sunderland – Kassandra Missipo
Belgian international, Kassandra Missipo, is a feather in Sunderland’s cap as she joins from Italian Serie A side, US Sassuolo. She has signed a two-year contract for the club.
At 28 years old, Missipo made her debut for Belgium in 2016, and has since played a crucial role in the Red Flame’s impressive UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 campaign, in which they reached the quarter-finals, and their qualification for Euro 2025. She has been capped 78 times and has scored three goals for Belgium.
Before her move to England, Missipo played for Belgian clubs KAA Gent and RSC Anderlecht, as well as Swiss side FC Basel. In her most recent season at Sassuolo, she made 22 appearances for the club, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
“I am very proud to be here and to sign for Sunderland. I have played in Switzerland and Italy, and those experiences were important steps in my career. Now, this step is about passion, quality and continuing to move in the right direction. I believe it is the right move for me.”
The arrival of Burnley, Wolves, and Watford will add fresh competition to this year’s season, while other clubs have made distinctive moves to strengthen their squads and shoot for promotion. The league is continuing to attract players from across the UK and beyond, and this season looks to only reinforce this.
