Manchester City have completed a Lionesses hat-trick after signing former Everton star Chloe Kelly.
The 22-year-old joins the Citizens after rejecting the chance to remain with the Toffees last month. Speaking to the club, Kelly has said she is ‘unbelievably excited’ and ‘honoured’ to make the move to Manchester.
Her arrival is Gareth Taylor’s third signing of the week. Kelly follows hot on the heels of the double swoop of England teammates Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood.
The youngster was full of praise for City’s new boss, saying: “Having spoken to Gareth, I could sense immediately what a great manager he is and I was excited by the idea of working with him.”
Kelly noted City’s reputation for developing ‘a number of young players’ as a huge reason for the move. The prospect of a Champions League campaign seems to have also proved pivotal in her decision making. No doubt the 22-year-old will be looking to cement her place as one of the WSL’s top young goal scorers.
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Kelly has previously linked up with Georgia Stanway and Lauren Hemp whilst on international duty. She admitted she is looking to follow in their footsteps at both club and international level.
“I’ve been watching them and seeing how much they’ve developed and it’s made me eager to do the same. If I can learn a little thing from each of the players to take into my game, it will be massive,” Kelly commented.
Embed from Getty ImagesTaylor echoed the sentiments of his new signing, saying he sees Kelly as ‘an incredibly exciting young talent’.
“I’m delighted that we now have the opportunity to help Chloe in the next part of her development journey as she continues her growth as a player on the way to fulfilling her potential.”
Already capped four times by England, Kelly moves to the Academy Stadium on a two-year contract. City’s club website has boasted they have signed ‘one of the brightest young talents in the English game’.
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She hit nine goals in 12 games for Everton before the curtailment of the WSL season. Her impressive form saw her named invPhil Neville’s squad for England’s SheBelieves Cup campaign.
Kelly, who started her career with London club Arsenal back in 2015, spent a total of three seasons with Everton. She joined the club originally on loan and helped them to promotion, before signing permanently in late 2017.
Her move to City is sure to be viewed with intrigue, with Kelly ready to fulfil her huge potential.
