Barcelona have accepted a bid from Chelsea for Keira Walsh and the England midfielder is expected to undergo a medical in London on Thursday. The transfer fee is understood to be in the region of €550,000 (£460,000), which would make the deal the fourth most expensive in the history of women’s football.
The two clubs reached an agreement overnight, inside the final 24 hours of the window, which closes at 11pm on Thursday and Barcelona gave Walsh permission to travel to London.
The 27-year-old would be 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. Walsh has helped Barcelona win back-to-back Champions League titles in the past two seasons.
The midfielder’s contract is due to expire in the summer. 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.
Chelsea’s move for Walsh comes just days after they broke the world record with a fee of $1.1m (£890,000) to sign the United States defender Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave.
Walsh’s latest transfer fee would mean that two of the top 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.
