Everton sign Australian striker McNamara on free transfer

Everton have signed Australian striker Holly McNamara on a free transfer following the expiration of her Melbourne City contract. The acquisition sees Everton beat a wide range of top clubs across Europe and the United States for the 23-year-old's signature.

McNamara brings an established goalscoring pedigree. She is a two-time Golden Boot winner in Australia's A-League and was named the league's young player of the year in 2022. She also helped Australia reach the 2026 Women's Asian Cup final.

She becomes Everton's fourth signing of the summer window, joining Noemie Mouchon, Hannah Cain and Zara Kramzar. McNamara will wear the number nine shirt for the club.

Her arrival is a notable development for the English women's game. It demonstrates the continued capacity of English clubs to draw top-tier international talent away from rival European leagues and the American market. The player explicitly cited the quality of the domestic competition as a decisive factor.

"A big thing was also the chance to play in the best league in the world," McNamara said. "It is so competitive and any team can beat anyone."

Everton secured the striker without a transfer fee. Doing so despite competition from top European and American sides underscores the value of traditional club heritage in the transfer market.

"Everton have such a rich history and that drew me to the club," she said. "It is a good club that has great ambitions and a great project for the next few years."

"It is unreal to be here. Goodison Park is such a special stadium. I am very lucky to be here," she added.

McNamara concluded by outlining her immediate objectives. "I can't wait to try to do everything for this club [in order] to win and to do as well as we can," she said.