Chelsea have emerged as strong contenders to sign England right-back Lucy Bronze after Barcelona confirmed her departure when her contract expires on Sunday. The Women's Super League champions are reportedly in discussions over a potential move, which would rank among the summer's most high-profile transfers. Chelsea declined to comment when approached by the Guardian.
Bronze, 32, has 123 England caps and was instrumental in the team's 2022 Women's Euros triumph and last year's World Cup final run. Last month, she became the first English footballer to win five European Cups after helping Barcelona secure a second successive Women's Champions League title. She previously won the trophy three times with Lyon, the former club of new Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor, though Bompastor was not in charge during Bronze's spell there.
Bronze is a two-time WSL champion with Liverpool (2013, 2014) and also helped Manchester City win the title in 2016. In 2020, she was named FIFA Best Women's Player of the Year. She leaves Barcelona after winning seven of eight possible major trophies, with the club praising her as 'one of the best defenders in the history of women's football' in a statement wishing her well for the future.
