Everton Signs Jutta Rantala from Leicester City
Everton have moved decisively in the market, agreeing a deal to sign Finland international Jutta Rantala from relegated Leicester City in a transfer that underlines their intent to climb the Women’s Super League table.
Rantala, 26, still has a year left on her Leicester contract, so Everton are expected to pay a fee for a player who became the Foxes’ attacking reference point almost as soon as she arrived from Swedish side Vittsjo GIK in 2023.
She leaves with a sharp record and a bigger reputation than when she walked in.
From Foxes talisman to Toffees spearhead
Across 48 appearances for Leicester, Rantala scored 13 goals and carried much of their attacking threat. Last season she was both their top scorer and their player of the season, a double honour that said as much about her influence as any statistic.
Then came the setback. A knee injury disrupted the following campaign and blunted Leicester’s edge in the final third. For a side fighting for survival, losing their most reliable finisher was a blow they never truly absorbed.
Relegation followed in June. The exodus has followed since.
Rantala becomes the sixth player to leave Leicester this summer, another high-profile departure from a squad reshaped by the drop out of the WSL. For Everton, that same movement looks like opportunity.
A familiar transfer path
The two clubs have been busy trading this window. BBC Sport reported last week that talks over Rantala were progressing, with the sides already well acquainted after earlier deals.
France forward Noemie Mouchon has already swapped Leicester for Everton on a free transfer. Wales international Hannah Cain has also returned to Merseyside from the Foxes, adding more pace and versatility to Scott Phelan’s options.
Now comes Rantala, the headline act of that trio, a striker with a proven eye for goal and the pedigree to lead a front line.
International pedigree and growing profile
On the international stage, Rantala has built a steady, upward curve. She has 10 goals in 36 appearances for Finland and was part of the squad at Euro 2025, experience that only sharpens her value to a club looking to add composure and quality in key moments.
She arrives as a player entering her prime years, already tested in Sweden, hardened by a relegation fight in England, and accustomed to carrying responsibility for both club and country.
Everton are betting that combination will translate into goals on Merseyside.
Everton’s reset under Scott Phelan
Everton finished eighth in the WSL last season, a campaign overshadowed by the departure of manager Brian Sorensen and the uncertainty that followed. The club has moved to steady the project, naming Scott Phelan as Sorensen’s permanent successor this summer.
The recruitment has reflected that sense of purpose. Four signings are already through the door, with Rantala set to be the latest piece in a squad that looks far more assertive than its mid-table placing suggested.
Everton needed a focal point, someone to turn half-chances into points and give structure to their attacking play. They have gone to a relegated rival to find her.
Now the question is simple: can Jutta Rantala turn Leicester’s loss into Everton’s breakthrough?
