Lionesses made splashy acquisitions last summer, including manager Jocelyn Precheur who coached PSG in the Champions League semi-finals last season.
On the pitch, former WSL winner Kosovare Asllani led several eye-catching arrivals, along with 2011 World Cup champion Saki Kumagai, ex-Barcelona midfielder Maria Perez and experienced Swedish international Sofia Jakobsson.
They have not blown the Championship away, however, with promotion only secured on the final day with this draw at second-placed Birmingham – who came from 2-0 down and pushed hard for a winner until the very end.
Kang’s spending has not only been bold but savvy. A state-of-the-art training facility in Kent is planned, with the focus on fitness needs for women. She has previously called for greater investment and research into the impact of sport on women’s bodies and has put her money where her mouth is.
She said the recruitment team will meet on Monday morning to plan how to avoid Bristol City last year and Crystal Palace this in dropping straight back out of the WSL.
And it is notable that the two key players at St Andrew’s were not headline signings but young British talents.
The first goal was scored by 22-year-old Izzy Goodwin, Championship top scorer this season with 16 strikes from 18 games. Having scored plenty in the second tier for Sheffield United and Lionesses, it will be fascinating to see how she makes the step up.
The second was scored by Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, signed in 2023. She also made a crucial goalline clearance in the first half.
“The WSL is a totally different league but we have the experience, we have the players, we have the support, we have the fans that hopefully keep growing. We take each game as it comes and put ourselves on the map,” Boye-Hlorkah said.
“We all love her and what she has done for this club,” added Goodwin on Kang. “We’re so happy. Hopefully it makes more teams do this.”
