Chelsea Ladies - Transfer Roundup

It has been a busy pre-mid-season for Emma Hayes and her coaching staff as both Olina Viddarsdottir and Edda Gardarsdottir both left the club and returned home to Iceland, with the former making brief substitute appearances at Euro 2013 in Sweden.

Sophie Fogarty was signed from QPR, primarily as a reserve/youth player but was quickly offered first team contract terms and should be first choice in the left back spot for the remainder of the season as Claire Rafferty is still out with a long term injury.

Kate Longhurst has also moved on, having been released. Matt Beard, the former Chelsea Ladies manager, didn’t think twice about taking her to Liverpool to join up with other former blues Gemma Bonner and Sarah Quantrill.

Longhurst who scored in the Women’s FA Cup final for Chelsea under Beard last year has freed up space in the squad, Hayes has made quite the signing in Japanese international Yuki Ogimi, a player of experience and quality to bolster the blues’ frontline. Yuki had scored 80 goals in just 109 games for her former club Turbine Potsdam. She also boasts 13 major honours for club and country and around 100 international caps.

At the other end, goalkeeper Marie Hourihan has joined the club from Birmingham with our stopper Jess Myers heading the other way. Nicky Davies has also returned to the club having been on leave from the start of the season.

That leave meant an emergency loan for Shannon Lynn, whilst Carly Telford was out injured, and that deal has now expired and Shannon has returned to Scotland, leaving the club with three experienced keepers to challenge for the matchday squad.

We wish good luck and a bright future to all those moving on and a warm welcome to the new additions who are now just weeks away from resumption of the FAWSL with a home fixture vs Doncaster Rovers Belles.

Written by @ChelseaStats

Published 26 July 2013, with 320 words.