Keira Walsh: Chelsea sign England midfielder from Barcelona on four-and-a-half-year deal - 'It’s unbelievable'
ByOli Gent
Updated 31/01/2025 at 20:12 GMT
Keira Walsh has left Barcelona to join Women's Super League champions Chelsea. The England midfielder, who made her name playing for Manchester City, joined Barcelona in 2022, and made 64 appearances for the Liga F side in her two and a half years with the Spanish side. Walsh was part of the Euro 2022-winning England squad, and started in the 2023 World Cup final, which England lost 1-0 to Spain.
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Keira Walsh has returned to the Women's Super League by signing for champions Chelsea from Barcelona.
The England midfielder, who started both the Euro 2022 final and the 2023 World Cup final, has played for the Liga F side since 2022, when she joined for a then world-record fee from Manchester City.
Barcelona paid a reported £400,000 for Walsh's signature two and a half years ago, and will be making a profit on the 27-year-old, with £500,000 the reported agreed fee with Chelsea.
Sonia Bompastor's Blues broke the world transfer record themselves earlier in the January transfer window, bringing in San Diego Wave centre-back Naomi Girma, who became the first female footballer to be bought for $1 million.
After signing a four-and-a-half-year deal, 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 [Chelsea head of women's football] Paul Green, Sonia and [assistant manager] 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 has 80 caps for her country, and won successive league titles during her time in Spain. She helped Man City win a maiden WSL title in 2016.
Green added: "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."
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Walsh said being closer to family and loved ones was a "massive motivator" in her decision to return home.
"I’ll be honest, I didn’t realise how difficult it would be to be away from my family and friends when I went abroad," she said in an interview on the club's website.
"It was such a quick transfer that I didn’t have time to process how I would be on my own. Sometimes, it was actually really difficult and I did struggle away from the pitch sometimes.
"This season was a bit easier because Ellie Roebuck came in and me and her have been such good friends for a long time.
"It’s no secret that I wanted to come and wanted to play closer to my friends and family. Just having my family back in the stands, it’s something I’ve just wanted for a long time.
"When I spoke to Chelsea, I knew that I wanted to come here."
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She said she hopes to reach another level at Chelsea: "There are always a lot of areas to improve. Speaking to Sonia, she wants me to score more goals.
"You look at the condition of this Chelsea team and they’re all so strong and physically tough. They’re incredible at getting around the pitch and that’s something I want to add to my game.
"The speed of the WSL as well is something I can learn from. The players play at such an incredible speed which will help me improve on the ball. I’ll have to play and think faster."
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