For several months, fans have been awaiting for this move to be confirmed. Belgian international Nicky Evrard has been linked with Chelsea for a while. The club officially announced the signing of the goalkeeper on Monday afternoon following the defeat in the Conti Cup final. Belgian side OH Leuven and the Blues have come to a pre-contract agreement which allows the 27-year-old to move to west London on July 1, 2023. Her contract runs until the summer of 2026.
Goalkeeper has been one of the most intriguing positions for Emma Hayes’ team heading into the 2022/23 campaign. Neither Zecira Musovic nor Ann-Katrin Berger has solidified themselves as the team’s No. 1 heading into the final stretch of the season.
Berger’s age and the health scare early in the season are causes for concern going forward. For Musovic, she just simply has not been given enough time on the pitch for the west London side or internationally to prove herself. The positives for each of them are there, but the consistently just simply is not. Adding an experienced international to the goalkeeper room will challenge everyone, including goalkeeper coach Stuart Searle.