Chelsea have confirmed the signing of England international Keira Walsh, with the midfielder signing a four-and-a-half year contract with the reigning Women’s Super League champions.
FC Barcelona, who signed Walsh for a then-record fee of £400,000 [€470,000] in 2022, had been reluctant to sell the 27-year-old – but a late bid was accepted on Wednesday, with Walsh undergoing a medical on Thursday ahead of the 23:00 GMT deadline.
Walsh is eligible to be registered for Chelsea’s UEFA Women’s Champions League squad from the knockout stages onwards, and a reunion with her former side could be on the cards – the two clubs have met in three of the past four seasons.
Chelsea have spent big throughout the January transfer window, having broken the world record transfer fee earlier in the month to secure the services of USWNT defender Naomi Girma. That deal was worth a reported £900,000 [$1.12m USD].
After completing her move to Chelsea, Walsh said: “It’s unbelievable. I’m very happy to be here and very excited to get started. You look at the history of the trophies Chelsea have won and I’m an ambitious player and person, so for me, it is a good fit.”
“Speaking to Paul Green, Sonia [Bompastor] and Camille [Abily], I just got such a good feeling from them. It has been really positive. I want to play for this club and fight for the badge,” she added.
Paul Green, Chelsea’s head of women’s football, said: “Keira is a player who will add huge value to an already talented squad. She has vast experience at the highest level, winning major honours at both domestic and international level.”
“She is a composed defensive midfielder, with excellent technical attributes and world class football intelligence. Her playing style and ability to dictate the tempo of the game will be crucial to our game model as we move forward.”