The fact that Chloe Kelly says she has a “smile on my face” five times in the 20 minutes she spends sitting in Arsenal’s London Colney training ground surrounded by media is perhaps the greatest indication of how she feels having shrugged free of the stalemate scenario at Manchester City.
Kelly’s deadline-day move came in a whirlwind, after months frozen out of the City starting lineup meant she made only one start in the first half of the season despite injuries piling up. Her England place at risk, the 27-year-old desperately needed minutes, and a move was the only option. On the evening of 29 January, less than 24 hours before the transfer window shut, Kelly went public on social media regarding her frustration at City dictating “whom I can and can’t join”. Amid reported interest from Arsenal, Manchester United and Brighton, she said it was having “a huge impact on not only my career but my mental wellbeing. Ultimately, I just want to be happy again.”
