Chelsea confirm deadline day signing of Keira Walsh from Barcelona | OneFootball

Chelsea have completed the shock deadline day capture of Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh, joining the WSL champions in the final hours of the January transfer window.

Reports surrounding the potential move broke on the penultimate day of the transfer window, after the speculation that Walsh had told Barcelona she wants a move out of the club before the end of January.

Despite heavy interest from WSL rivals Arsenal, it is Chelsea who have officially won the race for Walsh's signature. With her contract set to expire at Barcelona in the summer, the Blues are believed to have paid £440,000 for her immediate acquisition.

"It's unbelievable," Walsh said after penning a four-and-a-half-year contract. "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 Paul Green, Sonia [Bompastor] 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."

It has been a whirlwind of a transfer window in west London after the club secured the signature of Naomi Girma for a world record fee just last week.

Walsh returns to the WSL following her move to Barcelona from Manchester City for £400,000, a world record transfer at the time. In two full seasons with the Liga F giants, she played a part in Barcelona winning back-to-back UEFA Women's Champions League titles.

The midfield maestro was also central to England's European Championship triumph in 2022, earning herself the Player of the Tournament honour for a superb string of individual performances.

Chelsea's head of women’s football Paul 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."