Chelsea forward Aggie Beever-Jones believes the Blues are in "great hands" under new coach Sonia Bompastor as she looks to build on Emma Hayes' legacy.

Hayes ended her glittering 12-year reign in West London in May, having overseen her seventh Women's Super League title success, five of which have come in the last five seasons.

Hayes departed to take up an offer to manage the United States' national team, and she immediately led them to a record-extending fifth gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games.

Chelsea moved swiftly to replace Hayes with former Lyon boss Bompastor, who won three league titles and the 2021-22 Champions League crown in three years with the French giants.

The 2024-25 WSL season begins on Friday, September 20, with Bompastor's team playing host to Aston Villa in the first match of the campaign, and Beever-Jones is excited to get going.

Speaking at the Barclays WSL's 2024-25 season launch media day, Beever-Jones told Stats Perform: "I think with Emma, the legacy she created at Chelsea speaks for itself. 

"She transformed it into one of the best clubs in the world and I think she's obviously left it in great hands with Sonia now. 

"It's up to Sonia and Cami to put their own flair on the Chelsea way. I think it's going to be an exciting year for sure, change is good, and we'll be losing Emma, but we've got Sonia now, and we're just so excited for the season to start." 

Hayes also won five FA Cups and two League Cups during her time with Chelsea, but the Champions League trophy eluded her, coming closest when they were runners-up to Barcelona in 2020-21.

Bompastor is something of a European specialist, winning the Champions League twice as a player and once as a coach, and Beever-Jones hopes her know-how can get the Blues over the line.

"That is the aim," she said. "Chelsea haven't done it before and to have Sonia, who has won it many times, bringing that freshness and, obviously, players like Lucy Bronze giving her experience...

"To be fighting for four competitions again, that's what we want to be doing this year. 

"I feel Chelsea are the club that can do it and yeah hopefully this time next year I'll be sitting here with a Champions League medal.

"I think with Sonia, her history of what she's won as a player and a coach speaks for itself. 

"She was the first player to win it as a Champions League and then do it as a coach. It's a big hole to fill, but I think Sonia and everyone she's brought in are the right people to fill that hole. 

"It's absolute credit to what Emma did for Chelsea and I think it was the right time for her to leave. We're delighted for her to go and win a gold medal for America, and we're obviously still in contact.

"I'm super excited for this new era of Chelsea and to avoid that drop-off, I think we're in the right hands to do that, and I'm sure that drop-off won't happen."

Emma Hayes' Chelsea departure could offer a window of opportunity for their Women's Super League rivals in 2024-25, says Manchester United coach Marc Skinner.

Hayes left Chelsea to take up her new role in charge of the United States national team in May, then led them to a record-extending fifth Olympic gold medal at Paris 2024.

Chelsea won seven WSL titles, five FA Cups and two League Cups in 12 years under Hayes, also winning the most games (145), scoring the most goals (525) and earning the most points (462) in the WSL throughout her reign.

Sonia Bompastor, who led Lyon to the Champions League crown in 2021-22 after twice winning the competition as a player, has taken the reins ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, which begins on Friday, September 20, with the Blues taking on Aston Villa.

Despite her impressive CV, many believe Chelsea could endure teething problems and see their five-year stranglehold on the WSL crown threatened this term.

Speaking at the Barclays WSL's 2024-25 season launch media day, United boss Skinner outlined his hope that the Blues could suffer from a drop-off.

"It'll be a welcome change because she seemed to win a lot of games. Chelsea will be different, but they've also got a proven winner in Sonia," Skinner said.

"So it'll be a tough one, but the reality is as a coach, you only play them twice a season, so you've got to prepare for those games differently. 

"Emma's gone on to already achieve good things with the American team in the Olympics, and we know she's left her mark on this league. But now it's time for other teams to do the same, so hopefully we can be that team."

Skinner's United side will have a new face between the sticks next season after England stalwart Mary Earps left to join Paris Saint-Germain, following a long-running contract dispute with the Red Devils.

American Phallon Tullis-Joyce is expected to step up after serving as Earps' deputy last season, and Skinner believes she could even have a higher ceiling than her predecessor.

"I'll stress that Mary is a fantastic goalkeeper and a really big character. The reality was when we signed Phallon, we knew that Fallon could be Manchester United's number one," he said.

"Not only does she possess the skillset to be that player, but she hasn't even reached her full potential yet. 

"So as much as we'll miss Mary, we wish her all the very best, but we move forward. Football moves too quickly. 

"And for us, I have absolute confidence that you will see a fantastic goalkeeper in Phallon, who has all the potential to be a top, top goalkeeper, hopefully at the same level as Mary and beyond because she has an incredible skillset."

Arsenal, Manchester City and Celtic found out their opponents for the Women's Champions League qualifying second round on Monday. 

All three will play the first leg away from home, with Jonas Eidevall's side, who beat Rangers and Rosenborg to reach this stage of the tournament, facing BK Hacken. 

The Swedish side reached the quarter-finals last year for the first time in the competition since the 2012-13 edition.

BK Hacken also played Arsenal in the last eight of the tournament during the 2011-12 season, with the Gunners winning 3-2 on aggregate. 

Man City kickstart their Champions League campaign after finishing second in the Women's Super League last term against Paris FC.

The French side beat Real Madrid home and away last year but finished third in a group that contained Chelsea and BK Hacken. 

Celtic were the only British team to be involved in the Champions Path draw and will face Ukrainian champions Vorskla Poltava.

The first legs of the two-legged ties will take place on September 18 and 19, with the returns on September 25 and 26.

Those that emerge victorious in the round-two qualifying fixtures will progress to the group stages of the competition, joining Barcelona, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Chelsea forward Sam Kerr is being cautious with her comeback from a major knee injury, as she set her sights on winning the Women's Champions League.

Kerr, who is Australia's all-time leading goalscorer, has been out since January after she suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in training.

She missed the back half of Chelsea's Women's Super League and Champions League campaigns, while she was also absent from Australia's Olympics squad.

But despite being eager to return to action under new Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor, Kerr is not going to rush her comeback.

"I'm not putting a date on my return, just making sure I get it right and making sure I feel good before I get back on the pitch," Kerr told Optus Sport.

"I mean, it's my second ACL, so I know you need to take the time, you need to make sure it's right and I'm doing everything I can.

"But definitely no rush for me, I want to make sure I can play for many more years to come."

Bompastor replaced Emma Hayes after the latter ended her 12-year tenure at the end of last season.

And though Chelsea enjoyed unprecedented domestic dominance under Hayes, the Blues are yet to get over the line in the Champions League.

Bompastor, however, won that trophy with Lyon, and Kerr believes Chelsea now have an edge that was previously missing.

She said: "We would love to win the Champions League, that's the one we want, that's what we shoot for.

"We've fallen short a few years in a row, and hopefully Sonia brings that to this club."

"We want to win as many trophies as we can – we want to retain the league, get the [domestic] cups back, but the Champions League is the one we're going for this year."

Before her injury last season, Kerr was averaging 0.61 goals per 90 minutes, from 3.66 shots per 90, with a 16.67% conversion rate.

But Kerr's goals per 90 was actually at its lowest since the 2019-20 season, while her xG per 90 (0.46) was at its lowest during her time at Chelsea.

Kerr, who turns 31 on September 10, penned a new deal at the club earlier this year.

Asked if she had thought about her next move, Kerr replied: "This feels like home now. I love it here, I love where I live, I love the girls. We win a lot, so it's nice.

"I want to end my career, whenever that is, with as many trophies as I can, and I think we can do that [here]."

Chelsea start their WSL season against Aston Villa on September 20.

Sonia Bompastor has promised there is more hard work to come for her Chelsea players after they readied themselves for the Women's Super League season with a 9-0 hammering of Feyenoord.

Bompastor marked her first match at Kingsmeadow in fantastic fashion on Saturday, with the WSL champions proving far too good for their Dutch opponents.

Sandy Baltimore and Mayra Ramirez struck inside the opening 10 minutes, with Feyenoord's Celainy Obispo subsequently seeing red.

Chelsea were 4-0 up by the break thanks to finishes from Sjoeke Nusken and Wieke Kaptein, with Millie Bright heading home a fifth after the restart.

Substitute Aggie Beever-Jones netted a second-half hat-trick, with Maika Hamano also getting in on the act in a resounding victory.

Chelsea face Aston Villa in their WSL opener on September 20, and former Lyon coach Bompastor says the task is now to be fully prepared for that fixture.

"I can't wait to get to that moment, only two weeks now," she said.

"We are really excited to get to that moment, but we still have two weeks to work and we’ll make sure we work really hard to be ready for that first game.

"We had two main goals – the first one was defensively, we wanted to have high pressure, and be strong in transition. With the ball, I wanted them to play in a nice way, in an attacking style, so with nine goals, it was definitely good and it’s what we had been working on in training.

"I really liked the stadium, the atmosphere. It’s really cool, especially when you win and score a lot of goals. I hope all the games this season, they’ll have the same fun. We’ll keep working really hard to make sure they come and enjoy our games."

Barcelona and Spain star Aitana Bonmati is in the running to retain the Ballon d'Or Feminin after enjoying another glittering campaign in 2023-24.

Bonmati was crowned the world's best player after helping Spain win the World Cup for the first time in 2023, succeeding team-mate Alexia Putellas, who won the award in 2021 and 2022.

The creative midfielder could follow Putellas in becoming a two-time winner after helping Barcelona win a Liga F and Champions League double in 2023-24 – their third in the last four years.

Bonmati opened the scoring in the Blaugrana's 2-0 Champions League final victory over Lyon in Bilbao, having also netted in a 2-1 aggregate triumph over Chelsea in the last four.

In the league, Barcelona won 29 of their 30 games, drawing the other, with Bonmati's 11 assists only bettered by team-mate Caroline Graham Hansen (19).

Hansen is one of five other Barca players on the 30-player shortlist, alongside Putellas, Ewa Pajor, Salma Paralluelo and Patricia Guijarro.

Four Chelsea players are nominated after the Blues sealed a dramatic Women's Super League title success in Emma Hayes' final season in charge, with former Barca full-back Lucy Bronze joined by Lauren James, Sjoeke Nusken and Mayra Ramirez.

Bronze and James are two of three England internationals to make the cut, with Lauren Hemp also in the running after scoring 11 WSL goals for Manchester City last term.

The winner of the award – as well as the recipient of the men's prize – will be announced at an awards ceremony in Paris on October 28.

Lucy Bronze is targetting Champions League success in her first season at Chelsea.

The Blues are entering a new era under new manager Sonia Bompastor, who led Lyon to the Champions League final last season.

Bronze, though, helped Barca beat Bompastor's team in that clash in Bilbao, claiming the trophy for the fifth time in her career.

The full-back won the Champions League three times with Lyon and twice with Barca, and now wants to make it a sixth with the Blues, who fell short of European glory under Emma Hayes.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Bronze said: "Bringing the Champions League back to this country would be a huge success and would make women's football even better."

And with the standards set by Bompastor, who has won the Champions League three times (twice as a player and once as a manager), and her assistant Camille Abily, Bronze sees no reason why Chelsea cannot get over the line.

"The team's good enough and adding Sonia and Cammy's experience as both coaches and players that have won it is a huge thing," Bronze added.

"They aren't afraid to talk about it and make the demands it takes to get to a final so hopefully this is the year we break that brick wall down.

"She [Bompastor] has very high standards, she's very demanding. I'm laughing but my Lyon team-mates used to play with her and nothing was ever good enough.

"Everything needed to be better, which is why she was one of the best players to ever play for France.

"She's still got a little something now, but it's her standards that will hopefully get this team to the highest level."

The 2024-25 Women's Super League will have fans excited at the prospect of new managers right across the league.

Four of the 12 clubs involved will have new bosses in the dugout when the campaign begins in mid-September.

The most hotly anticipated of those newcomers is Sonia Bompastor, who will be following on from the Emma Hayes dynasty and trying to create her own era of success at Chelsea.

In the last decade, Chelsea found the winning formula that brought silverware galore. Hayes won 15 trophies during her 12 years as manager, cementing the club’s complete dominance of the domestic competitions in England. 

That haul included a last-gasp push for the WSL title last season, as the Blues pipped Manchester City to the post.

Opta's supercomputer is backing Chelsea for the title, but Bompastor certainly has big shoes to fill.

The recipe to success

The success that Bompastor must try and replicate will be no mean feat for the new Blues boss. However, she has won one trophy as a player and a manager that Chelsea were never able to under Hayes: the Champions League.

The former France international is also no stranger to pressure and expectations having played in and managed arguably the most successful women's team of all time in the Champions League.

She captained Lyon to victory in 2011 and 2012 and went one better in 2016 to become the first person to win the famous competition as both a player and a manager. 

Bompastor's list of honours is significant as a player. She won eight Division 1 Feminine league titles, six with Lyon and two with Montpellier, she won the Coupe de France four times, and the Champions League twice.

As a manager, she won three league titles and one French Cup in her time as coach of Lyon. She has the mindset of a serial winner and, after Hayes, Chelsea could hope for nothing less in a new boss. 

Bompastor won exactly 100 of her 118 games in charge of Lyon, registering an 84.75% win percentage and losing only eight times.

Her Lyon team scored 381 goals, an average of 3.81 per match, while conceding only 71 in return (0.71 per game). Bompastor's numbers truly speak for themselves and are the reason Chelsea made her the number one candidate to replace Hayes and lead what they hope will be a new era of success. 

A new champion?

The WSL is notoriously a difficult hunting ground for new managers. No manager in the competition's history has ever won the WSL in their first season in charge. There have also only ever been five winners of the competition.

Bompastor's predecessor Hayes won seven, Laura Harvey and Matt Beard have two titles each, while Nick Cushing and Joe Montemurro lifted the trophy once apiece.

It means we have an interesting quirk in the new season, with Liverpool boss Beard being the only active manager to have won the WSL title among all the current bosses.

But Bompastor will still face stiff competition, as her main rivals in Jonas Eidevall, Marc Skinner and Gareth Taylor have all taken Hayes to the wire in recent seasons as the league continues its explosion of expansion, growth and increased competitiveness.

Bompastor came so close to securing a second Champions League medal last time out with her Lyon side ultimately falling just short when they faced a formidable Barcelona team who made their own piece of history by securing a quadruple, becoming the first team to do this since Arsenal in 2007.

Her ability to navigate and win at all costs could bring a new chapter of success for Chelsea. 

Bompastor's Blues...champions breed champions

The new Chelsea boss has been left with solid foundations as she aims to win the WSL at the first time of asking. Bompastor is taking over a team that scored 71 goals in the WSL last term, 10 more than any other team, while only Man City (15) conceded fewer goals than the Blues (18).

Chelsea accumulated 59.87 xG, the most in the league, over four more than next-best Arsenal (55.48).

In fact, Chelsea had the best shot-conversion rate in the WSL last season, despite losing leading scorer and 2023 player of the year Sam Kerr to an ACL injury at their winter training camp in January. 

Before her injury last season, Kerr was averaging 0.61 goals per 90 minutes, from 3.66 shots per 90, with a 16.67% conversion rate.

But Kerr's goals per 90 was actually at its lowest since the 2019-20 season, while her xG per 90 (0.46) was at its lowest during her time at Chelsea altogether.

Getting Kerr fit and firing will be Bombastor's task – the Australian is still a world-class operator on her day, as she showed by hitting double figures in each of the three seasons prior to last season. Kerr has committed her future to the club, signing a new contract till 2026. 

Chelsea had 429 shots in the WSL, the second-highest total after Arsenal (436). They averaged 0.13 xG per shot, a higher total than any team in the division. Lauren James was the joint second-highest scorer in the WSL last season, with 13 goals. The England international greatly outperformed her 6.1 xG, showing high-level finishing and demonstrating clear improvement in that area of her game. 

Mayra Ramirez had a fine Olympics with Colombia, and starred in Chelsea's huge win over Manchester United on the final day of last season. She scored three goals in seven WSL games last term following her record-breaking switch from Spain.

The impact Ramirez could be huge in her first full season with the club. Her speed, strength and deadly finishing could prove too much for defences across the WSL. 

Bompastor has also added more quality to the attack by bringing in Sandy Baltimore on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. The France international is another proven winner, is a creative force and loves to drive at defences. She made 21 successful dribbles and had 24 touches in the opposition box in the Champions League last season. 

Defensively, the Blues were solid last term, with their 18 goals conceded coming from an expected goal against of 20.36, though they faced more shots than both Man City (184) and Arsenal (176). Millie Bright was missing for most of the season, however, and she really could be like a new signing this term.

Bompastor has looked to the market to help Chelsea reach that next level. Lucy Bronze, who has won every domestic trophy there is to win in France, Spain and in England, has joined after leaving Barcelona. Bronze has won the Champions League five times, lifting the trophy in spells with both Lyon and Barca.

Bronze created 28 chances for Barcelona last season from full-back – the second-most of any defender for the European champions, after Ona Batlle. Bronze supplied four assists and her experience in both attack and defence could be one of the missing links for European success.

The best of the rest

But what constitutes success for the new manager? And how big is the expectation from the club and fans alike to see their recent glory days replicated? With Man City and Arsenal both adding significant summer signings to their squads, this may be the hardest and fiercest title race we have ever seen in the WSL. 

City ran the Blues so close, with Hayes' team winning it on goal difference on the final day. Taylor has not left anything to chance, with City signing the all-time leading goalscorer in the WSL Vivianne Miedema, who left Arsenal in the summer. 

It is not just goals Miedema brings - she is also a creative force, having laid on 35 assists in the WSL, which ranks behind only Beth Mead (45) and Katie McCabe (36).

With Golden Boot winner Khadija Shaw, as well as Lauren Hemp, Chloe Kelly and Mary Fowler in their ranks, there seems to be little danger of City losing a title on goal difference again with such a stacked attacking line.

Arsenal stayed in the race for as long as they could but their attack ultimately let them down. While they have let arguably one of the best players of all time leave their ranks, they have brought in some big names themselves in the hope they can challenge their London rivals once more. 

Quality signings have come in at both ends of the pitch. Mariona Caldentey (signed from Barcelona), Daphne van Domselaar (signed from Aston Villa) and Rosa Kafaji (signed from BK Hacken), who is a youngster regularly tipped as the next big superstar of the women's game, have all arrived.

But only time will tell if one of these sides can beat Bompastor's side to glory and success.

We could be about to witness the new era of a new champion, especially if she can clinch that elusive Champions League title that Chelsea have so longed for.

Sonia Bompastor hailed her Chelsea players for taking her ideas on board quickly following Sunday's 1-0 friendly victory over Arsenal.

New arrival Sandy Baltimore scored the only goal of the game as Chelsea overcame their London rivals at Audi Field in Chicago.

Chelsea begin their quest for a sixth straight Women's Super League crown against Aston Villa on September 20, following a period of upheaval at Stamford Bridge.

Former Lyon boss Bompastor took the reins after Emma Hayes left to take the United States job and has overseen two pre-season victories, with the Blues also beating Gotham FC 3-1 on Monday.

Though she acknowledges there is more work to do ahead of their WSL opener, Bompastor believes her new players have already made plenty of progress.

"What I take from the game is that we worked really hard as a team and even if we had difficult moments, we were able to manage them," Bompastor said. 

"This is a good team spirit and I like that. Of course, the result was good even if we know we still need to work. These have been two good games for us to build on and to progress.

"We are in the beginning. It's not even been one month working with the team and it takes time to make sure all the girls understand our game model and the expectations I have of them on the field.

"I'm really happy. I think what we have wanted to work on since the beginning has been about the team spirit and from the two games we've played you can see we are playing like a team together, even when we have hard moments in games.

"From these two games, we will be working, progressing and reinforcing the messages on the game model. 

"I'm already happy with the girls, their performance and what they're achieving on the field."

Sonia Bompastor says she "likes the pressure" that comes from succeeding Emma Hayes at Chelsea.

Hayes, who won Olympic gold earlier this month with the United States, left the Blues at the end of last season after a glittering 12-year spell in charge that saw her win seven Women's Super League titles, including each of the last five in a row.

She also led them to five Women's FA Cups and two Women's League Cups to bring her tally to 14 major trophies.

Bompastor, who spent three years in charge of Lyon, winning three consecutive league titles and a Champions League, is now hoping to build on Hayes' success.

"I just feel a lucky manager to have this opportunity to build from Emma and have this opportunity to show who I am as a manager but also as a person," Bompastor said in her first Chelsea press conference.

"I already told everyone that we are here to win every single title, every single game, so this is why I came. I like the pressure.

"When I had the meeting with the sporting directors, I said this is something really special to win the Champions League.

"I think we have all the quality at this club to have this trophy at home."

Hayes came close to winning the Champions League with Chelsea, but fell short in 2020-21, losing to Barcelona.

With one eye on achieving European success this season, the Blues have already brought in Lucy Bronze and Sandy Baltimore, but Bompastor is keen to get some more additions through the door to ensure they can make a strong challenge.

"You know how competitive the league is here, maybe one of the most competitive in the world, so it's so difficult for an English team to perform in every game," she added.

"I'll make sure we have the good numbers and the quality to perform in every game."

Sonia Bompastor has said she is looking forward to building on the foundations laid by Emma Hayes at Chelsea to continue her legacy. 

Bompastor, who was announced as Chelsea Women's new head coach in May, arrives from Lyon after three years with the French side. 

During her time with Les Fenottes, she won seven titles, including the Women's Champions League in the 2021-22 season. 

Bompastor won 100 of her 118 games in charge (D10 L8), with her side scoring 381 goals in that time while averaging a win percentage of 84.75%. 

The 44-year-old replaces Hayes who spent 12 years in charge at Stamford Bridge, winning 16 titles and triumphing in 261 of her 367 games at the helm (D42 L64). 

Hayes is on the cusp of another major honour in her first tournament in charge of the United States after guiding them to the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics. 

"She has been really supportive. Emma is someone I know because she was my assistant coach when I played in the WPS in the US," Bompastor said. 

"I’m looking forward to now trying to build from her legacy.

"She did a wonderful job and now I’m bringing my own personal touch as well to make sure the club reach all the expectations. We aim for the Champions League and all the other titles.

Not only does Bompastor arrive at Chelsea with an impressive managerial record, but also from her 13-year playing career. 

The Frenchwoman won 14 titles during her time with Montpellier and Lyon, and is the only female to have won the Champions League as a player and a coach. 

Chelsea were knocked out of last year's competition by eventual winners Barcelona in the semi-finals, with Bompastor confident her experiences will help guide the club to their first success in the tournament having finished as runners-up in 2021. 

"I think the group already have a great mentality – a mentality of winning. This is something that has always been here," Bompastor added. 

"The players are really important for me and they will be the ones who make sure we are successful.

"I’m here to help them feel comfortable on the field, to make sure they understand my game model, my philosophy and my vision of the performance.

I just want them to enjoy. When you have the chance to do a job with your passion, I think this is a privilege.

"I just want the players to be really happy when they step in the field and to enjoy with winning and scoring a lot of goals – and we will work very hard to achieve this goal."

Chelsea will begin their Women's Super League title defence at home to Aston Villa, in what will be Sonia Bompastor's first match in charge.

The Blues claimed a record seventh title on the final day of last season, pipping Manchester City on goal difference, as Emma Hayes signed off in style.

Bompastor's Chelsea welcome Villa to Kingsmeadow on the weekend of September 21-22, and will conclude their campaign at home to Liverpool in May.

City's quest to go one better in 2024-25 starts in familiar surroundings for new signing Vivianne Miedema, who returns to former club Arsenal following her recent move away from the Gunners.

Manchester United face West Ham on the opening weekend with Liverpool hosting Leicester, while newly promoted Crystal Palace will play Tottenham and Everton travel to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Lucy Bronze on a free transfer.

The right-back signed a two-year deal following her departure from Barcelona at the end of her contract in June.

She won seven trophies during her time with the Catalan club, including the quadruple of the Champions League, Liga F, Copa de la Reina and the Supercopa de Espana Femenia last season.

Bronze made 70 appearances in two years at Barcelona, scoring four goals.

Speaking to Chelsea's media channels, Bronze said: "To know I'm a Chelsea player still feels a little bit surreal.

"It's obviously a club I know so much about and have done for such a long time. I'm really excited to be back in England. My family are so excited as well to get to more of my games.

"I'm excited to be in London, to see what the capital holds and to be at a club that is renowned for winning so many trophies."

Bronze has won every domestic honour in England during spells at Sunderland, Liverpool, Everton and Manchester City, while she also won a league title and the Champions League during three years at Lyon.

The 32-year-old is the fourth signing under new manager Sonia Bompastor, who took over following Emma Hayes' departure. The club have also brought in Sandy Baltimore and Oriane Jean-Francois from Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Julia Bartel from Barca.

Fran Kirby has joined Brighton and Hove Albion on a free transfer following her departure from Chelsea.

The England international won five Women's Super League titles during her nine-year stint with the Blues, for whom she scored 108 goals in 195 appearances.

Brighton finished ninth in the WSL last season, and will certainly be boosted by Kirby's vast experience, having also been part of the triumphant Lionesses side at Euro 2022.

The 31-year-old is the Seagulls' third signing ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, after Japan striker Kiko Seike and Netherlands defender Marisa Olislagers.

"I'm a competitive person and I wanted to come to a club that matched my ambitions, to set high standards on and off the pitch, and to use my experience to help the young players develop," Kirby told the club's official website. 

"I want to help create a culture with a group of players who want amazing success.

"I wanted to stay in this league because I still want to be competing week in week out. And as long as I can help a team progress, that's what I want to do."

Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has signed a new two-year deal until 2026, the club announced on Thursday.

Kerr, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the Women's Super League season, has scored 99 goals in 128 matches since joining from Chicago Red Stars in 2019.

The 30-year-old has played a huge role in the success of Emma Hayes' side in recent years, winning five consecutive league titles along with three FA Cups, two League Cups and the Community Shield. 

During the 2022-23 campaign, Kerr scored 29 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions, making her 100th appearance for the Blues in the process. 

The striker has not played since January because of an anterior cruciate ligament injury and has been ruled out of the Australia squad for this summer's Olympics in Paris.

"It’s really exciting and a very proud moment for me," Kerr said after putting pen to paper on her new deal. "Having the opportunity to stay at a club like Chelsea means a lot to me. I’m really excited to continue to push and to try to win trophies."

Since arriving in England, Kerr has claimed the Golden Boot twice and was runner-up to Spain's Aitana Bonmati at the Ballon d'Or awards last year.

Kerr would also become the first player to be awarded the Football Writers’ Association Women’s Footballer of the Year prize twice in a row.