Houston Dash record-signing Maria Sanchez requests trade - ESPN

Houston Dash winger Maria Sanchez has requested a trade only four months after signing one of the most lucrative deals in National Women's Soccer League history, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN.

Both the NWSL trade window and transfer window will close at midnight ET on Friday.

Sanchez signed a new contract with Houston in December for three years plus a fourth-year option, with a total compensation of $1.5 million including bonuses and the option year. At the time it was inked, it was the largest deal in NWSL history, although it was eclipsed by a few contracts signed in the months that followed.

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Reached by ESPN on Sunday, a Dash spokesperson provided the following statement: «Maria Sanchez is under contract, a choice she made in free agency at the end of 2023.»

Sanchez, 28, was a restricted free agent this past offseason, meaning that Houston had the ability to match any offer from another NWSL team and retain her rights. Her contract is signed with the league, so it remains in place if she moves to a new team, and there are a limited number of sides that would be in a position to sign her.

She is a Mexico international known for her left-footed service and strong technical ability on the ball.

She became one of the top players in Mexico during her time in Liga MX Femenil, including with Tigres in 2021. Sanchez first signed with Houston in 2022 after a brief loan spell with the team in 2021. She has been a focal point for the team as a winger who has been utilized as both a wingback and higher up the field.

Houston has struggled to create stability within the club since it was founded as a 2014 NWSL expansion team, but the turnover has been particularly