Chelsea agree £800,000K deal to sign Barcelona star (World record fee)
Chelsea have finalized a deadline-day agreement to acquire England star Keira Walsh from Barcelona.
Having recently contributed significantly to the Lionesses’ victory in the European Championship on home ground, Walsh joined the ranks of the Spanish heavyweights in 2022 for a fee that set a new world record at the time.
The midfielder has won consecutive Champions League and Spanish league titles since then, but his contract is set to expire this summer.
Walsh was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal last summer, but is now set to secure a return to the WSL with Chelsea ahead of Thursday’s 11pm deadline.
It was initially reported that the fee would be as high as £800,000, but Standard Sport understands it is only around half that.
The deal will be Chelsea’s second major transfer of the January window, following last week’s signing of Naomi Girma for a world-record fee.
The US international defender joined from San Diego Wave for a £900,000 fee, becoming the first women’s player to be sold for more than $1million.
Girma was presented at Stamford Bridge ahead of Sunday’s vital 1-0 win over Arsenal.
The victory has Sonia Bompastor’s side seven points clear at the top of the WSL as they target a sixth straight title, but first since the summer departure of Emma Hayes.