Chelsea are hoping to seal a sensational deadline-day move to sign the England midfielder Keira Walsh from Barcelona on Thursday as the Women’s Super League transfer window approaches a dramatic conclusion.
The WSL champions and current leaders have held advanced negotiations with the European champions over a fee for Walsh, who set a world record for the most expensive transfer in the women’s game when she joined Barcelona from Manchester City in 2022.
Walsh has helped Barcelona to win back-to-back Champions League titles in the past two seasons but her contract is due to expire in the summer. Arsenal targeted the 27-year-old last summer and she was reportedly the subject of a bid from the club, who have been heavily linked with her for several months.
Last Sunday Chelsea broke the women’s world record to sign the USA defender Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave for $1.1m (£890,000). Sonia Bompastor’s side lead the WSL table by seven points as they chase a sixth successive title.
In the leadup to Thursday’s 11pm deadline, meanwhile, another Lioness could be on the move. Chloe Kelly says she has accepted she has no future at Manchester City beyond the end of her contract which expires in June, breaking her silence after weeks of speculation about her future.
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Liverpool and Arsenal cruise in Women’s FA Cup
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Liverpool put five goals past their fellow WSL side West Ham United away from home in the Women’s FA Cup and set up a fifth-round tie away to third-tier side Rugby Borough, live on the BBC.
Matt Beard’s team were truly dominant from the start and eventually coasted to victory after West Ham were reduced to 10 players when Amber Tysiak was sent off for violent conduct. By then, Liverpool were already two goals up and they completed a 5-0 victory thanks to second-half efforts from Grace Fisk, Lucy Parry and the Scotland international midfielder Sam Kerr.
Arsenal were also 5-0 winners, against Championship opposition at home to Bristol City, in another of the four fourth-round ties that was rescheduled because of wintry weather earlier in January.
The England forward Beth Mead and Swedish striker Stina Blackstenius each scored twice for the hosts, with Frida Maanum also getting on the scoresheet for the record 14-time winners of the Women’s FA Cup. They will now host another second-tier side, London City Lionesses, in round five.
Everton will travel to league leaders Chelsea after claiming a 2-0 victory at home to Tottenham The France forward Kelly Gago scored her first goal for Everton since her January arrival from the French club Nantes, to open the scoring for the hosts, before Heather Payne made the win safe in second-half stoppage time.
WSL side Brighton booked a trip to face Aston Villa with a 4-1 win at home to Championship side Durham, with the 18-year-old England youth international striker Michelle Agyemang among the goalscorers for Brighton.
Women’s FA Cup fifth-round draw
Wolves v Manchester United
Chelsea v Everton
Portsmouth v Sunderland
Manchester City v Leicester
Crystal Palace v Newcastle
Aston Villa v Brighton
Rugby Borough v Liverpool
Arsenal v London City Lionesses
The winger has been increasingly frozen out at City, making only one start in the WSL this season amid reports linking her with a move away from the club. She accused City of “dictating” who she can and cannot join and said the situation is having an impact on her mental wellbeing.
Posting a lengthy statement on Instagram on Wednesday evening, Kelly said: “For a long time I’ve tried to work through professional challenges privately, not commenting publicly, but with my situation increasingly being debated in the public domain, I feel it’s time to be open and transparent.
“A key lesson I have learned in my life is that whilst I can’t control someone’s negative behaviour towards me, I can control how long I am prepared to tolerate it.
“With my contract expiring in June, I’ve accepted my future is not at this club beyond then. With the Euros fast approaching, this summer is a huge one and I want to be in a position to give it my best shot to represent my country. However, to be dictated whom I can and can’t join with only four months left of the football season is having a huge impact on not only my career but my mental wellbeing. The situation has dragged on far too long, it’s disappointing and not right.” Kelly concluded her statement by saying: “Ultimately I just want to be happy again.”
City are understood to be open to allowing Kelly to leave the club in this transfer window and an offer is believed to be on the table.
