DONE DEAL: Spurs Women midfielder Ria Percival signs new contract through 2025

Tottenham Hotspur Women may not have won a match since October, but the vibes coming out of the January transfer window have been nothing but good. Today, the club announced that utility midfielder Ria Percival has signed a new contract that will keep her at the club until the end of the 2024-25 season!

Those of you who have only been following Spurs Women this season or more recently may not be familiar with Percival, but she was a key player in Tottenham’s squad last season, playing mostly in a central midfield role but also occasionally as a fullback. She’s a set piece specialist with a lethal dead ball, and the reason you haven’t seen her lately is that she blew her knee playing for the New Zealand national team in a match against Australia last April.

Spurs have definitely missed Ria this season, as the midfield has been an area of notable concern, especially with regards to ball progression. The latest reports were she’s starting to do some on-field stuff now in training but it might be a while yet before we see her in meaningful matches. However, locking her down for another two years means that Spurs see her as an important part of the future. Having her back means more options for Rehanne Skinner against WSL opponents, and more depth. Ria also wants to get healthy in time to play for her fifth (!) World Cup this summer with New Zealand, hosted by her home country.

It’s good news, and lord knows we could use some. With Spurs’ most recent match postponed for a frozen pitch, hopefully we’ll see her in an actual match soon.