Chelsea sign two-time Champions League winner Ellie Carpenter | OneFootball

Australian defender Ellie Carpenter signs for Chelsea

Chelsea have strengthened their undefeated WSL team from last season with the addition of two-time Champions League winner Ellie Carpenter.

Carpenter put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Blues, who she joins after spending five triumphant seasons in France.

Who is new Chelsea defender Ellie Carpenter?

There is no doubt that Chelsea are the best team in England right now and adding Ellie Carpenter to their ranks will add some much needed competition to the squad.

Carpenter plays on the right of the back line and while she could come straight into Sonia Bompastor’s starting lineup, she will have to face off with the fierce Lucy Bronze for that spot.

The Australian defender is a familiar face to Bompastor as the Chelsea boss was in charge of Lyon between 2021 and 2024.

For Lyon, Carpenter won almost everything, with four league titles in France as well as two Champions League wins during an unstoppable stint for the French side.

The 25-year-old moves on from one dynasty to another, as Carpenter is set to join a team that has won the WSL for six consecutive seasons.

Chelsea will be hoping that the addition of Carpenter could push them further in Europe next year as the club continues to hunt for an elusive first European title.

The deal for Carpenter involved another Chelsea star returning to her former club in Lyon, as Ashley Lawrence – who was also competing with Bronze at right back for two years – heads back to France.

What Carpenter said after joining Chelsea

Ellie Carpenter wrote on the Chelsea website: “I’m really excited about this new challenge; it’s a new adventure. It feels like the right move for me, and I can’t wait to get started and give my all for this club.

“I’m very proud to join such a big club, one of the biggest in women’s football. Chelsea have enjoyed so much success in England, and I’m delighted to now be a part of it.”

Carpenter will now have all summer to prepare for her first season with the Blues, with the Australian not involved at this summer’s Euro 2025 in Switzerland.