Keira Walsh is set to join Chelsea after the Blues agreed an £800,000 sign the England midfielder from Barcelona.
Mutiple sources including the BBC say Barca accepted Chelsea’s bid on Wednesday evening, with the 27-year-old due in London for a medical on Thursday.
The Spanish giants had been reluctant to sell Walsh, who they signed for a then world-record £400,000 in the summer of 2022 shortly after the midfielder won Euro 2022 with the Lionesses.
Walsh’s fee of £800,000, plus add-ons, is under the world record transfer Chelsea paid for USA defender Naomi Girma earlier this month.
Chelsea had a long-standing interest in boosting their midfield options with the playmaker, who was keen to return home to her family.
It is believed that Walsh informed the Catalan side that she did not wish to extend her contract, which expires this summer.
The Blaugrana therefore opted to sell the Lionesses star rather than lose her for free in the summer.
During her time at Barcelona, Walsh has won back-to-back league titles and the Champions League.
She is the second arrival to Chelsea from Barcelona in the last six months, with the Blues also signing Lucy Bronze from the Spanish club last summer.
