The WSL transfer window slammed shut at 5pm, with the main story of deadline day being Arsenal's failed move to bring Lionesses star Alessia Russo to the club from Manchester United.
Russo has become one of the biggest stars in the women's game, with almost 400,000 followers on Instagram and a big presence online following her key role in England's Euro 2022 win. The forward has been with United since 2020 having begun her career with Chelsea before playing briefly for Brighton and the North Carolina Tar Heels in the USA.
With five goals in nine appearances so far this season in the WSL, Russo has continued her great form from the summer into the domestic season and has been offered the chance to join one of the country's most successful clubs.
READ MORE: WSL January transfer round-up as window into final stages for London clubs
Arsenal have fellow Lionesses stars Leah Williamson and Beth Mead in their ranks, with an injury currently keeping Mead on the sidelines. This perhaps will have sparked the interest in Russo, with the 23-year-old proving to be a versatile forward for both club and country.
What did Arsenal bid for Alessia Russo?
Arsenal lodged a world record bid for a women's player, with United rejecting a £500,000 offer to sign the player in what is a great show of growth in the women's game that such a bid can be rejected.
At just 23 years of age, Russo has become one of the most marketable players in the sport. The hope will have been to pair her with players such as Williamson, but instead the rejection of the bid shows United's own commitment to their women's team.
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