Orlando Pride Transfer Forward Haley Bugeja to Inter Milan

The Orlando Pride announced today that forward Haley Bugeja has been transferred to Italian Serie A side Inter Milan for an undisclosed fee. The 19-year-old attacker made five appearances during her stay in Orlando that lasted a year.

“Haley has demonstrated maturity and professionalism well beyond her years while here in Orlando and we value having had her as a member of our Orlando Pride family,” Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said through a club press release. “It was important for us to do right by her and help identify an opportunity where she could earn more game time and continue her development on and off the pitch. We wish her the best of luck in this next chapter of her career.”

Bugeja arrived in Orlando on July 1, 2022 from Sassuolo on a contract that ran through the 2023 season. She made her debut for the club on Sept. 21 against the North Carolina Courage at Exploria Stadium, coming on in the 71st minute for Leah Pruitt. She came off the bench in the final two games as well, making three total appearances last year.

This season, Bugeja made two additional appearances. Her 2023 debut came on March 26 in Portland, replacing Messiah Bright in the 67th minute. She made her lone start in a 4-2 Challenge Cup loss to the Washington Spirit on May 10, playing 45 minutes before being replaced at halftime by rookie Summer Yates.

“I would like to thank the Orlando Pride and the fans for a wonderful year in this city and on this team. I have grown so much as a player and as a person,” Bugeja said in the press release. “I would also like to thank the club for the work they have done to help me, not only while here as a player, but also in setting up this next move for my career. I will always be a fan of this team.”

The Pride was Bugeja’s third professional team. Prior to moving to Serie A, she played for Mgarr United FC in Malta and has represented her national side since 2019 when she was 14 years old. She moves to an Inter Milan side that finished fifth in Serie A last season, a league that only recently became professional.

What It Means for Orlando

There was a lot of hype when the teenage striker came to Orlando. She was seen as a possible future key player for a rebuilding team. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. Bright won the starting spot early in her rookie year and the club signed 18-year-old Canadian international Amanda Allen on April 3, putting two young forwards ahead of her in the depth chart. She was also behind Ally Watt and Julie Doyle if the latter played up top, though she’s been playing in the midfield when available this season.

If Bugeja was no longer a part of the Pride’s future plans, it’s best to part with her during the season instead of waiting until her contract ran out. She moves back to Italy where she had great success in a much weaker league than the NWSL, but one that has become fully professional following her departure. She also moves to one of the biggest clubs in that league.

Overall, this move won’t impact the Pride much. Bugeja played sparingly and was moving further down the depth chart of forwards on the squad. The Pride still have three players that regularly play forward on the team and an additional three that are comfortable in that position.