Chelsea are set to make a shock bid to sign England midfielder Keira Walsh as the clock runs down on deadline day.

Multiple sources have reported that Walsh has said she wants out at Barcelona before the conclusion of the January transfer window.

The midfielder has previously said that she is eager to return home to England upon the expiration of her contract with the Catalan side this summer.

Despite having been previously linked with a move to Women’s Super League (WSL) side Arsenal, Barcelona were said to have turned down a world-record bid of £930,000 bid from the side back in September.

London opponents Chelsea are now the frontrunners to snatch up the world-class player, with reports suggesting the club are “hoping to seal a sensational deadline-day move” for Walsh.

As reported by The Telegraph, the 27-year-old is understood to be undergoing her medical in west-London, in a rush to seal the deal by the 23:00 GMT deadline. The statement signing would be Chelsea’s second world-class acquisition of the transfer window, having broken the transfer record for Naomi Girma just last week.

Walsh is no stranger to silverware, talking home the Player of the Tournament honour when the Lionesses secured European glory in the summer of 2022. The Rochdale-born player made a record-breaking move to Liga F giants Barcelona following the tournament, departing Manchester City for a high fee of £350,000.

Since then, the player has helped Barcelona to back-to-back titles in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, as well as consecutive Liga F league titles.

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