Chelsea Women: Highly rated Academy forward moves to Swedish club on short term loan

In the last month, Damallsvenskan side Linköping FC has seen its two top scorers this season depart for new clubs — including one who joined Liverpool just days ago. In its search for a boost in the forward line, the club from southern Sweden acquired the services of Aimee Claypole, an 18-year-old striker from Chelsea FC Women on a short-term loan until the end of the Damallsvenskan campaign.

The news was first reported by @journalism_rp, a women's football journalist, and confirmed on Tuesday morning by both clubs.

Claypole, who made her Women's Super League debut in March of 2023 in a win over Brighton & Hove Albion, was sent out on her first loan to Lewes in the Women's Championship last January. In the English second tier, the five-foot-five striker tallied five goal contributions (two goals, three assists) in 11 matches.

"I feel very hopeful and ready to start! This is a big step for my development and a chance to gain experience," said Claypole in Linköping's announcement. "Linköping feels like the right club for me right now"

The esteemed young forward has been at the club since 2015, putting pen to paper on her first professional contract with the Blues in November of 2023. The deal runs until the end of 2025, with an option to extend for an additional year.

Per reports, the Swedish side beat out intense competition in England and around the continent for the Berkshire-born forward. Even with an abundance of talent in the attacking line for CFCW at the moment, there seems to be a legitimate chance Claypole will get an opportunity at the beginning of next season if she continues to progress in this final year of her contract.

Her talent far exceeds the Academy level and after some time in the Championship, this move makes a lot of sense. The club has to be content with her development, especially considering she was the only Lewes player with under 18 league outings to record more than just a single goal last season.

"We are very happy that Aimee wanted to come here and continue her development," Linköping head coach Rafael Roldán said. "We have scouted many strikers in recent weeks and for us, it was important that we did not rush anything. It is important to get the right profile with the qualities we want..."

He continued: "Now we hope that we in Linköping can show several English players that the OBOS Damallsvenskan can be a good league that they can look at in the future as an environment to develop in."

Linköping clearly has faith in Claypole's talent by giving her the No. 9 shirt

Claypole is one of two forwards the club has brought on board within the last week, with Eshly Bakker moving from FC Utrecht of the Vrouwen Eredivisie to Sweden on August 16.

Not only will she likely play a crucial role while donning the No. 9 in the Swedish top flight but also in the club's UEFA Women's Champions League qualification journey. Linköping encounters Sparta Prague on September 4 in the second tournament (League Path side) of the first round of the qualifying setup. If Roldán's team takes down the Czech Republic side, it will face the winner of Paris FC and First Vienna FC on September 7 in front of its fans at the Linköping Arena.

Last season, after finishing third in the league in the previous campaign, the Champions League draw was not too friendly to Linköping. Right out of the gate, it saw Arsenal, falling 3-0 in a match that saw the Gunners net three second-half goals.

Claypole, the lone CFCW forward to be sent out on loan so far, is poised to emulate the path taken by Maika Hamano just a year prior in the Damallsvenskan. Hamano, the Japanese international, made 14 starts in her 17 appearances for Hammarby IF during the 2023 season, finding the back of the net seven times and providing one additional assist.

According to the Swedish club, the player is "waiting for the work permit from the Migration Agency to be approved" before being able to participate in a competitive match. The team from southern Sweden, who currently sit in seventh place in the league, has found some form after a very slow start, winning five of their last seven league games.

This Saturday, Linköping hosts fifth-place IFK Norrköping DFK at home, with the opportunity to climb up the table if it can get a positive result in the match.