Portland Thorns permanently acquire defender Nicole Payne

Nicole Payne

Portland Thorns FC midfielder Nicole Payne during an NWSL soccer match against the Kansas City Current at CPKC Stadium, Saturday, March 16, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)AP

The Portland Thorns have reached an agreement with Paris Saint-Germain to permanently acquire defender Nicole Payne for an undisclosed fee, the club announced Tuesday.

The agreement also allowed the club to reach a new contract with Payne, which will keep her with the team through the 2025 season.

“Nicole has brought a level of competition to our outside back group which has helped raise the bar for all our defenders,” Thorns General Manager and President of Soccer Operations Karina LeBlanc said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing how she will continue to impact our club going forward.”

Payne, 23, joined the Thorns on loan from PSG in February. She has appeared in nine matches, with six starts. The Thorns have three of the matches in which Payne has been in the starting 11.

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