Chelsea sign England midfielder Walsh from Barcelona

Chelsea Football Club has officially signed English midfielder Keira Walsh, who previously played for Barcelona. The 27-year-old, who spent eight years at Manchester City before joining Barcelona, has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Chelsea.

Although the Women's Super League transfer deadline was on Thursday, the deal was not officially announced until Friday. Chelsea did not disclose the specific transfer fee, but it is confirmed that the fee did not break the world record of approximately £900,000 they paid for American defender Naomi Girma earlier this month.

Walsh stated in an interview, "It's fantastic. I'm really happy to be here and excited for the new journey ahead. Chelsea have won a lot of trophies, and I'm an ambitious player and person, so it's a great fit for me." Although Barcelona were initially reluctant to sell Walsh, it is believed that a bid from Chelsea late on Wednesday was accepted, and Walsh subsequently underwent a medical on Thursday.

It is understood that Walsh, who left Manchester City for Barcelona in 2022 for a then-record transfer fee of £400,000, had been eager to return to England to be closer to her family. Chelsea, who are currently top of the Women's Super League, the only undefeated team after 12 rounds of matches, have long been interested in Walsh and have been looking to strengthen their midfield since the summer. Head coach Sonia Bompastor has received strong support from the club in their bid to win the Women's Champions League. Walsh has won the competition twice with Barcelona.

Although Walsh has played for Barcelona in the group stage of the competition this season, she is still eligible to represent Chelsea from the quarter-finals onwards. It has been a significant month for Chelsea, who have signed two world-class players in Girma and Walsh. Chelsea have made no secret of their intention to win the Women's Champions League and are fully supporting Bompastor in achieving this goal. They are seven points clear at the top of the Women's Super League, have advanced to the fifth round of the Women's FA Cup, and are in the semi-finals of the Women's League Cup, mounting a challenge for a quadruple.

By signing Walsh, Chelsea have found a replacement for midfielder Sophie Ingle, who is out for the season with an ACL injury, while also taking a key player from European rivals Barcelona. Walsh, who has been eager to return home, believes she has achieved all her goals at Barcelona, meaning she will be reunited with her family ahead of the 2025 European Championships.