Chelsea Women’s latest news: youth updates, Fishel price revealed

Four straight WSL titles, and still not settling. Chelsea Women continue to make moves for the betterment of the current team, and future sides.

Report of massive transfer fee for Mia Fishel following FOX Sports Mexico dropping the bomb of her potential arrival at Chelsea

Just a day after the news dropped that Chelsea Women were set to bring in United States youngster Mia Fishel, Nizaar Kinsella of the Evening Standard came out with the price the Blues will pay for the forward. According to Kinsella’s report, the west London outfit will send £200,000 to Tigres in exchange for the Torneo Apertura 2022 Golden Boot winner. It is just £100,000 short of what Emma Hayes’ team reportedly paid for Wolfsburg’s Pernille Harder in 2020. The hope is that Fishel will have as large of an impact on the club’s success as Harder did before departing for Bayern Munich this summer.

Two clubs have already paid over £250,000 each for a single player this summer. Manchester City brought in Wolfsburg’s Jill Roord for an excess of £300,000 in early July, and in late June, Lyon secured USWNT international Lindsey Horan move to France permanently for reportedly over £250,000. Even with her young age, the west Londoners are essentially using the fee they received for Bethany England in January. The Blues’ rivals from north London grabbed up the English international seeking playing time mid-way through last season for a believed thought of £250,000.

CFCW news: Academy defender Cerys Brown signs first professional contract until the summer of 2024

The moves at the youth level for the west London side continue. 18-year-old Cerys Brown agreed to put pen to paper on her first professional contract. Brown joined the Blues academy back in 2021, and was named the Player of the Year last season, helping the west Londoners to a second place finish in the Southern Division. She was tied for the second most appearances of any academy player in that division during the last campaign with 24, behind only Brighton and Hove Albion’s Olivia Carpenter. Not only did she aid in the Blues in the league campaign, she featured against Manchester United in the team’s triumph at the FA Women’s Academy Cup final at the end of April.

The full back started in every game, including on in which she captained the academy side. Brown is an extremely athletic full back who has not only shown the ability to defend consistently, but attack and fire in crosses at the academy level. During her time of development in the Southern Division, Brown has also demonstrated an adaptability to be able to play both wing backs and an occasional central defense. Like one of her teammates from last season, Brown should go out on loan to receive some time at the senior level. Her destination for the next campaign is yet to be determined.

CFCW news: Reanna Blades to go out on first loan to Lewes, confirmed by club on Wednesday

After netting 24 goals over two seasons in the Southern Division with CFC’s academy, attacker Reanna Blades will be heading to play Championship football in 2023-2024. The club continued its partnership with Lewes, sending its third player in the span of a year down south to play for the Rooks. Blades aims to improve her game individually, and help the Championship side improve from a ninth place finish in the last campaign.

It was Lewes’ lowest finish in the second division of English women’s football since the 2018-2019 season. The Rooks scored the second fewest goals in the league during that campaign, so it makes sense to bring in someone like Blades solve that issue.

The Player of the Match in the FA Women’s Academy Cup Final signed her first pro contract in October 2022. Her deal concludes in the summer of 2024, but there is an option to extend for a further campaign. That extension that could be exercised is most likely going to be used if Blades has a breakout season for the East Sussex outfit.