We are one month into the three-month Ladies’ transfer window and we can clearly see the pattern and choices used by the nine FA WSL1 sides.
Here is a team by team look at the deals already done.
Chelsea Ladies have decided to upgrade, with a lot of young fringe players departing and being replaced by England’s Karen Carney plus quality players in Rebecca Spencer, Jade Bailey and Bethany England, who will compete for a first team place in.
Manchester City Women also went for quality adding Scottish forward Jane Ross, and signing Nikita Parris after her year on loan.
They added experienced goalkeeper Marie Hourihan and Swedish international Kosovare Aslanni.
They’ve released the fans’ favourite Natasha Harding and four fringe players.
Arsenal Ladies have signed a bit of a mixed bag of players with Dutch playmaker Danielle Van de Donk, a young promising Irish winger Katie McCabe and a veteran defensive midfielder in Fara Williams.
Siobhan Chamberlain and Chioma Ubogagu have departed as well as two home-grown girls who have been with the club for about 10 years in Jade Bailey and Carla Humphrey (on loan). Hopefully more new players will sign soon.
Sunderland Ladies have signed one of their former players, Lucy Staniforth, who has been unlucky with injuries since leaving Lincoln three seasons ago.
They have also signed a well travelled Candian left-back, Kylla Sjoman.
They let go of three squad players and seem to have managed to keep Bethany Mead with many teams trying to sign her.
Notts County Ladies have signed two young English players with potential in Natasha Flint and Megan Walsh, plus an experienced Swedish defender, Maja Krantz.
They also have Sophie Bradley back after a very long term injury.
Jess Sigsworth has left after a season with no games played at all, which is a bit of a mystery, and Alex Greenwood is rumoured to be signing for another FA WSL side this week. They also let their CEO go, the infamous Luke Negus-Hill.
Birmingham City Ladies have lost three important players in Chelsea Weston, Karen Carney and Rebecca Spencer.
They have signed up one of their young talents, Chloe Peplow, and will carry on their emphasis on youth players coming through the ranks as their business model in contrast to the more money orientated model from the top three teams.
Liverpool Ladies have gone for the full rebuilding process with a new manager, Scott Rogers, replacing Matt Beard who has gone to the NWSL.
There are eight players out and seven players in so far.
You do wonder if some players were actually burned out from playing constantly on the 3G pitch at Widnes for two or three seasons, as articulations and muscle seem to have an accelerated wear and tear on that surface.
Two English internationals, two Welsh ones, one Scottish, one Swedish and one Dutch international have come to make it a new Liverpool side that might surprise a few teams this season.
Reading Women have secured the core of their FA WSL 2 title winning team and have added clever signings with goalscorer Jade Boho-Sayo, Forward Amber Keegan-Stobbs and midfielder and ex Reading Youth team player Kayleigh Hines, who was superb for Oxford last season.
They let Eloise Wilson go to Bristol as the England u19 would probably not play many games this season.
Doncaster Belles also secured most of the squad that gained promotion to the FA WSL 1 and gave many players pro contracts just like Reading did.
They lost Bethany England to Chelsea, released six players, plus winger Emily Roberts returned to her parent club.
They made ambitious signings with Jess Sigsworth coming back, a trio of Liverpool players in Natasha Dowie, Becky Easton and Katrin Omarsdottir, a young goalkeeper in Anna Moorhouse and got promising Arsenal youngster Carla Humphrey on loan for the season.
Most of the sides are now back into pre-season, but there’s still two months to go to see deals go through, so February is likely to be busy especially as more and more agents start to be involved in women’s football these days.