Crystal Palace is set to acquire New Zealand forward Indiah-Paige Riley as they ramp up efforts to bolster their squad following their promotion to the Women’s Super League.
An agreement has been reached with PSV Eindhoven, and the 22-year-old has finalized personal terms with Palace, who have yet to make a signing since winning the Championship to secure their place in the top division for the very first time.
Riley, born in Auckland, has been an ever-present player for New Zealand during their Olympic campaign in France, showcasing her talent as one of the standout performers for the Football Ferns in their matches against Canada and Colombia. New Zealand is set to face France in their concluding Group A match on Wednesday.
She began her professional journey with Brisbane Roar, had a stint with Danish side Fortuna Hjørring, and returned to Brisbane. Since joining PSV last summer, she scored seven league goals, aiding the team to finish third in the Eredivisie with an impressive rate of 0.51 goals per 90 minutes played.
Laura Kaminski’s Palace identified Riley as a primary summer target and are likely to pursue additional signings. They will kick off their WSL campaign against Tottenham on the weekend of 21-22 September, followed by hosting Chelsea the subsequent Friday.
The England team has announced plans to host four home friendlies in October, November, and December in preparation for Euro 2025, slated for next summer in Switzerland, where the Lionesses will aim to defend their title from 2022.
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Two of the friendly matches will take place at Wembley, starting with a game against Germany on 25 October, marking a repeat of the European Championship final. Emma Hayes’s USA team is scheduled to play at Wembley on 30 November. Additionally, England will face South Africa in Coventry on 29 October and Switzerland at Bramall Lane on 3 December.
