Football news - Chelsea beat off rivals to land Sam Kerr signing
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ByEurosport
Updated 13/11/2019 at 09:25 GMT
Chelsea Women have beaten off competition from a host of top European clubs to land the signing of Australian striker Sam Kerr.
Sam Kerr poses for a photo with Emma Hayes, Manager of Chelsea, and Marina Granovskaia, Director of Chelsea as she signs for Chelsea Women FC at Stamford Bridge on November 13, 2019 in London, England
Image credit: Getty Images
26-year-old Kerr had previously announced her intention to leave Australian W-League side Perth Glory, sparking fierce interest from Europe in the forward.
The forward is the record goalscorer in both the W-League and America's NWSL and reportedly attracted interest from Barcelona, PSG and current Champions League holders Lyon amongst others.
Kerr will link up with the team in January on a two-and-a-half year deal.
"The WSL is the best league in Europe. I want team success and I don’t want it to come easy. I feel Chelsea have been building something special over the years and I want to be a part of that – I want to lift some trophies." Kerr told the Chelsea website.
The Blues are currently top of the WSL and manager Emma Hayes will be able to add Kerr to an attacking set-up that already boasts Erin Cuthbert, Beth England, Ramona Bachmann as well as Fran Kirby.
"Sam has proved time and time again in the NWSL that she is a prolific goalscorer." Hayes said of Kerr who will wear the No.20 shirt.
"She’s won the golden boot many times and she’s a player that can make things happen, but she’s also a fantastic team player.
"The fact she chose Chelsea when she could have gone to any club in the world is a testament to the players and the staff here because she saw this is the best place for her to grow and take the next step in her career. That’s a wonderful compliment to us all."
Eurosport expert Jen Offord says "Kerr really shone at the World Cup last year and is a much sought-after player, so it's obviously good for the league that it can attract such top international talent.
She's quite an outspoken character, so it might be interesting to see if she shakes things up a bit - the Matildas have obviously just been given equal pay and benefits to their male counterparts, and we know some of the England players are - quite rightly - agitating for that, here.
"Also Emma Hayes strikes me as a pretty no-nonsense character, so I wonder how they will gel, if she will find a way to harness that almost cockiness that Kerr has, or if it will be a source of tension."
Fellow expert Carrie Dunn adds "Kerr is a great player and it'll be interesting to see how she does in England - Emma Hayes is always clear that she will only sign and pick players who will fit in to her ethos so she obviously has a plan.
"What interests me is more broadly the repercussions for Beth England and Fran Kirby at Chelsea, and how the other top teams will respond. Vivianne Miedema is undoubtedly the best striker in the WSL - how will she react?"
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