Gotham star midfielder Rose Lavelle technically has been a free agent since July 1.
In an interview this week, Gotham president of soccer operations Yael Averbuch West indicated the club is in active talks to retain Lavelle on a fresh contract.
“We’re working every day on it,” Averbuch West told The Post.
Asked whether Gotham wanted to re-sign Lavelle and about the status of negotiations, Averbuch West began by saying, “I think every team wants to sign Rose Lavelle, so absolutely,” which is both a shorthand for the value of the 31-year-old playmaker and where the anxiety can come in from supporters as she remains unsigned beyond 2026.
Lavelle is among the headliners of the NWSL’s class of 2027 free agents. Those players became free to agree to a contract with another team at the start of July.
Lavelle, a longtime standout with the U.S. women’s national team, joined Gotham in 2024, when she finished with eight goal contributions (seven goals, one assist). She missed the first half of the 2025 season following ankle surgery, then returned to help lead the team to a second NWSL championship in three years. In 2026, she has two goals in 10 matches, and remains the creative spark in the team’s attack.
It seems like a tell that Lavelle was featured in Gotham’s promotional materials around the team’s move to Etihad Park in Queens for the 2028 season, which was announced Tuesday.
And there are other pieces to the puzzle to consider as Averbuch West shapes a contender-level roster in compliance with the NWSL’s salary cap.
Gotham’s other notable free agents include goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger, defender Jess Carter, forward Midge Purce and captain Mandy Freeman.
“I can’t speak to many specifics, but as I think people have seen, we work very hard on the roster and we’re always thinking about and evaluating the roster,” Averbuch West said.
Emily Sonnett also was on an expiring contract, but on the eve of free agency, she agreed to an extension that runs through 2028.
Sam Kerr, the superstar Australian striker, joined this month on a contract through 2030.
Gotham returned to action after the NWSL’s summer break with a 2-0 loss at first-place San Diego. They sit in seventh place, part of a trend of middling regular-season results, and have scored just 12 goals in 12 matches.
They play Friday night at fourth-place Utah before returning home to play the “Queens Classic” on July 15 against the Washington Spirit in front of an expected record-setting crowd at Citi Field.
