Chelsea agree deal for Keira Walsh signing from Barcelona

Chelsea have agreed a deal with Barcelona for the signing of England midfielder Keira Walsh.

Barcelona signed Walsh in 2022 in a deal worth more than £400,000 ($457,000) — a then-world record transfer fee — but her contract with the European champions expires in the summer.

The England international did not train with Barcelona today (Thursday) and an announcement is expected imminently.

reported in June Chelsea’s Women’s Super League rivals Arsenal were interested in a move for Walsh, and that while she has become a key figure at Barcelona, if an opportunity arose for a player to be closer to their family, they may naturally consider it.

The midfielder has won successive Champions League and Liga F titles during her two and a half seasons in Spain. She has made 20 appearances in the league and in Europe this season, scoring three goals.

Chelsea’s deadline day move for Walsh comes just four days after they completed the signing of Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave for a record $1.1million fee.

Sonia Bompastor’s side lead the WSL by seven points and progressed to the knockout stages of the Champions League — the one competition they are yet to win — as group winners.

Erin Cuthbert and Sjoeke Nusken have been Chelsea’s first-choice midfield pairing this season. Midfielder Melanie Leupolz departed Chelsea in the summer to join Real Madrid, while Sophie Ingle, 33, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in September.

Walsh progressed through the Blackburn Rovers academy before joining Manchester City in 2014 and breaking into the first team as a 17-year-old. She has become an integral part of the England squad since her senior debut in 2017 and was named player of the match during the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 final victory over Germany.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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