Everton Signs Jutta Rantala from Leicester as Foxes Exodus Continues

Everton have moved decisively in the summer market, agreeing a deal to sign Finland international striker Jutta Rantala from relegated Leicester City.

The 26-year-old still has a year left on her Leicester contract, so a fee will be involved, but Everton clearly judged the cost worth paying for one of the WSL’s most dangerous forwards when fully fit.

This is not a one-off raid. It’s a pattern.

Everton tap into Leicester’s talent pool

The Merseyside club have already dipped into Leicester’s squad once this summer, bringing in France forward Noemie Mouchon on a free transfer and tempting Wales international Hannah Cain back to Everton from the Foxes.

Now comes the headline move: Rantala, Leicester’s standout performer of 2023-24.

Since arriving in England from Swedish side Vittsjo GIK in 2023, the Finn has scored 13 goals in 48 appearances. Those numbers only tell part of the story. She became Leicester’s attacking reference point, finishing the 2023-24 campaign as both their top scorer and player of the season.

Then came the setback. A knee injury disrupted the following campaign and blunted Leicester’s cutting edge at precisely the moment they needed it most.

Relegation followed in June. The break-up of that squad was always likely. Rantala is now set to become the sixth player to leave the club this summer.

A proven international threat

Rantala arrives with a solid international pedigree. She has 10 goals in 36 caps for Finland and was part of the squad at Euro 2025, adding tournament experience to her profile.

For Everton, that blend of WSL know-how and international sharpness is exactly what they have been trying to inject into a side that finished eighth last season.

They closed the campaign in mid-table, steady but short of the punch needed to trouble the league’s upper reaches. With Brian Sorensen departing and Scott Phelan stepping in as permanent head coach this summer, the club has opted for evolution rather than revolution – but the recruitment drive has been assertive.

Rantala would be their fourth signing of the window, and arguably the most eye-catching.

Phelan’s rebuild gathers pace

Phelan inherits a team that has flirted with progress without quite breaking through. Everton’s hierarchy expect that to change. The signings point to a clearer attacking identity: pace, movement, and a front line capable of hurting opponents from multiple angles.

Mouchon offers energy and versatility. Cain brings familiarity with the club and WSL experience. Rantala, if she returns to full sharpness after her knee injury, gives them a focal point with a track record of deciding games.

For Leicester, the picture is starker. Relegation from the Women’s Super League has triggered a steady flow of departures, and losing last season’s talisman underlines the scale of their rebuild in the Championship.

Everton, meanwhile, are moving in the opposite direction. They are not talking about survival or consolidation anymore. With Phelan reshaping the squad and a proven goalscorer on the way, the question is no longer whether they can stabilise.

It’s how quickly they can start climbing.