The Everton defender has been linked with a move to Spain to replace Olga Carmona
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Sport
13:41, 29 May 2025
Sara Holmgaard of Everton inspects the pitch prior to the Barclays Women's Super League match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield on May 04, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jess Hornby/Getty Images)
Everton centre-back, Sara Holmgaard, has reportedly attracted interest from Real Madrid as a potential replacement for club captain Olga Carmona.
The 26-year-old signed for the Blues in August 2022 from German club Turbine Potsdam alongside her twin sister Karen Holmgaard.
She went out of loan to Fortuna Hjorring for the first six months of her Everton contract, returning in January 2023 to make her debut in blue a few days after against Reading.
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After an impressive first two seasons for the club, playing 18 WSL matches, scoring two goals and getting three assists, Holmgaard extended her contract in July 2024.
The Danish defender improved in the 2024/25 season after becoming a regular starter. She played 19 WSL matches, securing three goals and four assists.
Real Madrid have expressed interest in signing Holmgaard following the departure of Carmona according to Relevo, who is joining PSG from the 2025/26 season. The 24-year-old is leaving Madrid after playing 186 games for the club .
Her transfer from the club leaves a huge gap in Real Madrid’s back line, which they are looking to solve with the potential transfer for Holmgaard.
Real Madrid have been battling with Barcelona’s dominance in Liga F for many years, only beating them for the first time in March.
If the transfer were to go ahead Everton could be left with a gap in their defence going into next season.
The Toffees struggled with squad depth throughout the season and need to focus on signing new players in the summer window.
After suffering three major ACL injury blows in the first part of the season the Blues struggled to keep up with the pace of the WSL. However a good transfer window in January meant they were able to put valuable points between them and the relegation spot.
Outside of the top four teams Everton had the lowest amount of goals conceded in 2024/25 WSL season.
Losing Holmgaard, a key element of the defence, could affect their ability to improve their league position next season.
The Friedkin Group’s recent takeover of Everton could be extremely valuable for the club after the January window saw them sign four players, two permanently and two on loan, who then made a big difference for Everton taking them from tenth to eighth place.
The investment could aid the team in closing the gap between them and the top four - Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal.
Should Holmgaard make the move to Madrid, Everton do have replacement options with numerous players out of contract across the WSL.
Ex-Liverpool player, Jasmine Matthews, announced she was leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2024/25 season following the expiration of her contract.
West Ham announced the departure of Kirsty Smith and Shannon Cooke following the expiration of their contracts. Both players are free agents and experienced making them suitable candidates for Everton’s defensive line for the 2025/26 season.
With Denmark qualifying for the UEFA Women’s Euros in the summer it is likely the Dane could attract interest from multiple other clubs.