3 hours ago
2
Chelsea person signed England midfielder Keira Walsh from Barcelona.
The 27-year-old, who spent 8 years astatine Manchester City earlier joining Barcelona, has signed a four-and-a-half-year woody with Chelsea.
The Women's Super League transportation deadline was connected Thursday but the woody was lone announced connected Friday.
Chelsea did not corroborate the interest but it does not situation the satellite grounds of astir £900,000 that they paid for USA defender Naomi Girma earlier this month.
"It's unbelievable. I'm precise blessed to beryllium present and precise excited to get started," Walsh said.
"You look astatine the past of the trophies Chelsea person won and I'm an ambitious subordinate and person, truthful for me, it is simply a bully fit."
Despite Barca initially being unwilling to sell, it is believed Chelsea's bid was accepted precocious connected Wednesday earlier Walsh had a aesculapian connected Thursday.
The 27-year-old, who near Manchester City to articulation Barcelona for a past satellite grounds interest of £400,000 successful 2022, was keen to instrumentality to England to beryllium adjacent to family.
Chelsea, who are apical of the Women's Super League and the lone unbeaten broadside aft 12 games, person had a long-standing involvement successful Walsh and person been looking to bolster their midfield since the summer.
Manager Sonia Bompastor has received important backing arsenic the nine bid to triumph the Champions League. Walsh has won the contention doubly with Barcelona.
While she has played for Barcelona successful the radical stages of the contention this season, she is inactive eligible to play for Chelsea from the quarter-finals onwards.
It has been a immense period for Chelsea arsenic they person signed 2 of the world's champion players successful Girma - wide regarded arsenic the game's champion centre-back - and Walsh.
Chelsea person made nary concealed that their volition is to triumph the Women's Champions League and they person backed Bompastor to bash that.
They person a seven-point pb successful the WSL, are successful the 5th circular of the Women's FA Cup and the semi-finals of the Women's League Cup arsenic they pursuit a quadruple.
By signing Walsh they person recovered screen for injured midfielder Sophie Ingle, who has missed the play with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and they person taken a cardinal subordinate distant from European rivals Barcelona.
Walsh was ever keen to instrumentality location having felt similar she had achieved each she could successful Barcelona and it means she volition beryllium adjacent to household successful the build-up to Euro 2025.
English (US)