- USA World Cup-winning striker will join on short-term loan
- Morgan hopes to make US Olympic squad having given birth
Alex Morgan celebrates scoring against England in USA’s World Cup semi-final win by mimicking sipping a cup of tea.
Photograph: Catherine Ivill/FIFA via Getty Images
Tottenham are set to sign the US Women’s National Team star Alex Morgan on a short-term loan deal that will run to the end of the year.
The 2019 World Cup silver ball winner, who famously celebrated her goal against England in their 2-1 semi-final defeat by pretending to sip tea, is set to swap Orlando Pride for Tottenham to increase her game time as she bids for a place in the US Olympic squad.
Morgan made her return to action, following the birth of her daughter Charlie on 7 May, in August but left the pitch after a heavy collision. Orlando Pride will compete in the NWSL Fall Series but the mini-tournament will only provide four competitive fixtures. Morgan will undoubtedly be the highest-profile import in the history of domestic women’s football in England.
She scored five goals against Thailand in the USA’s 13-0 victory on the way to her second World Cup trophy. The striker will join Pride teammates Shelina Zadorsky and Alanna Kennedy, who also signed loan deals with tTottenham this summer.
USA’s Alex Morgan defends tea-cup celebration before World Cup final – video
It is not Morgan’s first spell in Europe, the 31-year-old spent a year at seven-time European champions Lyon in 2017, picking up a league title, French Cup and Champions League winner’s medal in the process. She also won Olympic gold at the London 2012 Olympics, scoring the extra-time winner against Canada in the semi-final.
Morgan and fellow forward Megan Rapinoe became the first women to sign up to the Common Goal campaign where footballers donate 1% of their salaries to footballing charities, she also co-captains the USWNT with Rapinoe and former Manchester City striker Carli Lloyd.