Chelsea have confirmed the signing of the England midfielder Keira Walsh from Barcelona on a four-and-a-half-year contract, concluding one of the most dramatic transfers the WSL has seen.
The club finalised the deal with more than four hours to spare on Thursday evening, the WSL’s transfer deadline day, but were made to wait for around 24 hours before announcing the signing as they awaited international clearance from Fifa.
It is understood there was no response from the relevant office at the Spanish FA on Thursday night when the paperwork was submitted, delaying the final confirmation, but because all the paperwork was sorted comprehensively by the clubs comfortably before the deadline, Fifa’s transfer matching system approved the move on Friday.
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.”
Walsh, who was a key part of the Lionesses side that won the 2022 Euros, was keen to return to England and Chelsea, admirers for many years, acted quickly to secure her signature.
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The midfielder’s contract at Barcelona was due to expire in the summer, presenting the possibility of her leaving the club on a free transfer, but the Spanish league champions decided to sell her instead of losing her for nothing in five months’ time.
Chelsea’s move for Walsh comes days after they broke the world record with a fee of $1.1m (£880,000) to sign the USA defender Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave. Their deal for Walsh will also be widely seen as a further boost to Chelsea’s hopes of more silverware this season, as they strengthen their squad again despite being seven points clear at the top of the WSL, in their pursuit of a sixth consecutive title. Sonia Bompastor’s side are also through to the League Cup semi-finals, the fifth round of the FA Cup and the Champions League quarter-finals.
The 27-year-old is eligible to be registered for Chelsea’s Champions League squad for the knockout stages and therefore could theoretically be set for a reunion against her former side if they were to meet in the competition this season. The quarter-final draw takes place on Friday 7 February.
Walsh has helped Barcelona win back-to-back Champions League titles in the past two seasons, but is believed to have told the club she wanted to be closer to her family.
Arsenal targeted Walsh last summer and she was reportedly the subject of a bid from the club, who have been heavily linked with her for several months. Her move to Chelsea will be seen as a bitter blow to Arsenal, who were also interested in Girma before her decision to join Chelsea.
Walsh’s latest transfer fee would mean that two of the five most expensive transfers in women’s football would involve the former Manchester City midfielder as she moved to Barcelona from City for around £400,000 in 2022.
