Sam Kerr fiancee detail that meant Matildas star was always going to re-sign with Chelsea

Sam Kerr sent football fans into a frenzy after teasing that she was set to leave Chelsea, before signing a new deal with the English giants. It was a bizarre but brilliant way to announce her re-signing with the powerhouse Women's Super League club, but a detail around her fiancée Kristie Mewis meant the Matildas captain was always likely to extend her stay in London with Chelsea.

Kerr has played with the west London club since 2019, scoring 99 goals in 128 matches over a period of incredible success that's included five consecutive Women's Super League titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups and the Community Shield. She was also runner-up to Spain's World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati at the Ballon d'Or awards last year.

Understandably, Chelsea fans were beside themselves when Kerr and Chelsea teased that the 30-year-old was set to depart the club by posting a video to social media hinting at her exit. However, it was all part of a publicity stunt, with the club posting another video some 20 minutes later of Kerr revealing she was re-signing with the English giants until 2026.

Fiancee detail held clue to Sam Kerr's future at Chelsea

The fact that Kerr's fiancee Mewis is also based in London with Women's Super League rivals West Ham, meant Kerr was never really likely to be moving anywhere. Mewis - who is a member of United States Women's National Team (USWNT) - signed with West Ham in December, not long after her and Kerr became engaged.

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The USWNT star and Matildas captain have been in a relationship since early 2021 and decided to take their relationship to the next level in September, with the pair posting photos to social media of Kerr getting down on one knee to pop the question to her partner. And the fact the pair are happily engaged and living together in London left many fans convinced Kerr was staying, despite her re-signing video raising eyebrows around the football world.

"I'm not leaving," Kerr said in the second video after teasing her farewell in the first one. "Did you guys really think I was going to end on 99 goals?" Kerr added in a statement after her re-signing announcement: "It's really exciting and a very proud moment for me. Having the opportunity to stay at a club like Chelsea means a lot to me. I'm really excited to continue to push and to try to win trophies."

Sam Kerr to miss Olympic Games due to injury

Kerr has been sidelined since January after tearing her ACL on a training camp, with Chelsea going on to win the Women's Super League title without their star striker. The devastating injury means the Aussie captain has also been ruled out of the Matildas' upcoming Paris Games campaign, as they aim to win a first Olympic medal for Australia in football.

The sidelined Matildas captain is also set to face trial next year after being charged with racially aggravated harassment of a London police officer. She was charged this year in January with using insulting, threatening or abusive words that caused alarm or distress to a police officer during an incident in Twickenham on January 30, the previous year.

Kerr pleaded not guilty to the offence at a court hearing in March and is scheduled to appear at Wimbledon Magistrates Court in February 2025. Both Chelsea and Football Australia have thrown their support behind the superstar striker, amid suggestions from within the football world that she stood be stood down as Matildas captain.

with AAP