Barcelona have agreed a world-record fee with Manchester City for midfielder Keira Walsh.
Walsh is now free to discuss terms and arrange a medical with the club.
There is slight conjecture over the potential fee, with some sources suggesting it is around £350k and others indicating the deal will be more in the long-term.
Beth Mead celebrates with Keira Walsh at the Euros
The previous world record is believed to be Pernille Harder’s £300k move to Chelsea from Wolfsburg in September 2020. However, US deals involve allocation fees and trade assets so final fees are undisclosed.
Man City have reluctantly agreed to sell Walsh after rejecting multiple offers from Barca this summer. Walsh is in the final year of her contract and is keen on the move.
The deal has to be completed by the time the Spanish deadline for foreign deals runs out at 11pm BST on Wednesday.
Man City are looking at replacements for Walsh before Thursday’s WSL transfer deadline.
Walsh played a key role for England as they won Euro 2022 this summer and was named player of the match in the final as the Lionesses beat Germany at Wembley.
Since making her City debut in July 2014, the 25-year-old has made 189 appearances for the club, scoring eight goals. She has 49 caps for England.
City have already lost several key players ahead of the new WSL season, with Caroline Weir joining Real Madrid, Georgia Stanway signing for Bayern Munich and Lucy Bronze moving to Barcelona.
City get their 2022/23 campaign underway at home to Arsenal on Sunday at 7pm, live on Sky Sports.
Sunday 11th September 6:30pm
Kick off 7:00pm
How to follow the WSL on Sky Sports…
Sky Sports – All 35 games will be available across Sky Sports’ flagship channels, including Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event.
Sky Sports News – Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Barclays FA WSL fans can enjoy Sky Sports News (channel 409) rolling editorial coverage of the league and its storylines throughout the season.
Inside the WSL – Hosted by award-winning broadcaster and journalist Jessica Creighton, Inside the WSL is a comprehensive round-up of all things Barclays FA Women’s Super League and women’s football. Airing weekly on Sky Sports Premier League, the half-an-hour show will review and preview matches, including in-depth analysis and exclusive player interviews. Viewers can expect gripping behind-the-scenes access as well as a summary of all the action both on and off the pitch.
Sky Sports Social – Alongside coverage and visibility for the league across all Sky Sports’ main social media channels, the bespoke Twitter channel @SkySportsWSL will continue to be the home of all Barclays FA WSL content on Sky Sports.
New to the 2022/23 season, the Sky Sports WSL TikTok account will be giving fans 360° coverage of the league and granting them exclusive access to their new favourite players. Also a first for the league, a new Snapchat Discover show The Dub aims to become the platform’s new hub for Barclays’ WSL content.
Sky Showcase – All Sky customers will benefit from being able to watch the opening weekend fixtures on Sky Showcase (channel 106) without a Sky Sports subscription. This channel is designed to curate some of the top shows, films and sports from across Sky’s channels.
Sky Sports digital – Follow all the latest from the WSL across SkySports.com and app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus dedicated live blog coverage and in-game clips from games live on Sky Sports. You can watch free match highlights from every WSL game this season on Sky Sports’ digital platforms and YouTube channel.
The opening weekend games
Here’s the first round of fixtures for the 2022/23 Women’s Super League season. All games 2pm kick-off on Sunday September 11 unless stated:
Tottenham vs Manchester United, Saturday September 10 – live on Sky Sports; kick off at 12.30pm
Chelsea vs West Ham – 12.30pm, Sunday September 11
Everton vs Leicester City – 1pm, Sunday September 11
Brighton vs Aston Villa
Reading vs Liverpool
Manchester City vs Arsenal, September 11 – live on Sky Sports; kick off at 7pm
Key dates for the 2022/23 season
- Barclays Women’s Championship opening weekend: August 20/21, 2022
- Barclays Women’s Super League opening weekend: September 10/11, 2022
- FA Women’s Continental League Cup final: March 4/5, 2023
- Barclays Women’s Championship final weekend: April 29/30, 2023
- Vitality Women’s FA Cup final: May 14, 2023
- Barclays Women’s Super League final weekend: May 27/28, 2023
