Chelsea secures £800,000 deal for Keira Walsh from Barcelona

Chelsea Women have secured a significant transfer by agreeing to a deal for England midfielder Keira Walsh from Barcelona, reportedly worth £800,000 with add-ons. The move, finalized on Women's Super League transfer deadline day, sees Walsh return to England after joining Barcelona in 2022 for a then world-record fee of £400,000. Chelsea's investment follows their earlier record signing of USA defender Naomi Girma, demonstrating the club's ambition to strengthen their squad under manager Sonia Bompastor. Walsh, who has 80 international caps and was part of the Euro 2022 winning team, expressed a desire to return to England to be closer to family. This transfer is notable as it marks Walsh as the second most expensive female footballer in history. Chelsea remains unbeaten in the WSL and is focused on winning the Women's Champions League.