Chelsea have confirmed that defender Aniek Nouwen will spend the rest of the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Crystal Palace in the Women’s Super League.
The 25-year-old recently extended her contract with Chelsea until the summer of 2026 and now seeks to regain match fitness following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury sustained in late 2023.
Nouwen first joined Chelsea in 2021 from PSV Eindhoven in her native Netherlands, quickly making an impact by helping the Blues win both the Women’s Super League title and the FA Cup in her debut season.
She made four appearances during the first half of the following season before going on loan to AC Milan for the remainder of the campaign. Unfortunately, her progress was hampered by an ACL injury sustained while representing the Netherlands U-23 national team. She featured just once for Chelsea last season.
On the international stage, Nouwen debuted for the senior Netherlands team in 2019 and is nearing 50 caps. She has competed in major tournaments, including the Olympics and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
This loan move presents an opportunity for Nouwen to rediscover her form and contribute significantly to Crystal Palace’s squad in the second half of the season.
Nouwen’s departure can also be attributed to the arrival of record-signing, Naomi Girma who is expected to partner Millie Bright in defence.
