England forward Fran Kirby will remain at Chelsea until at least 2024 having had her contract extended by a year.
The 29-year-old’s contract was due to expire at the end of this season, but Chelsea have triggered an option to keep Kirby for one more year until next summer.
Earlier this month the club revealed that Kirby is set for a “significant period” on the sidelines and will require surgery on a knee injury that will see her miss this summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The midfielder joined the Blues from Reading in 2015 and has gone on to become the Women’s Super League club’s leading scorer with 110 goals in 175 appearances.
During her time with Chelsea, Kirby has won 13 trophies, including five WSL titles as well as the FA Cup on four occasions.
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Watch all of Fran Kirby’s WSL goals from the 2022-23 season so far as she prepares to play for Chelsea against Reading this Sunday, live on Sky Sports.
Eriksson and Harder to leave Chelsea
Magdalena Eriksson and Pernille Harder will leave Chelsea this summer
Chelsea Women captain Magdalena Eriksson will leave the WSL club at the end of this season, with forward Pernille Harder also departing.
Defender Eriksson joined the Blues from Linkoping in her native Sweden in 2017, and has remained a first-team fixture throughout her time at Kingsmeadow, racking up 149 appearances and scoring 11 goals.
Harder joined Emma Hayes’ side three years later and was a landmark signing from Wolfsburg in September 2020. Chelsea paid a world-record fee for the Denmark international, which was beaten by Keira Walsh’s move from Manchester City to Barcelona last summer.
Harder has spent much of this season sidelined due to injury, but Eriksson has been vital in another successful campaign for Chelsea.
Both players featured in the Women’s FA Cup final win against Manchester United and could yet help the club land their fourth WSL title in a row in their final weeks.
WSL title decider: Chelsea at Reading, live on Sky
WSL final day live!
Chelsea will be crowned Women’s Super League champions with a win at bottom-placed Reading on Saturday, in a match you can watch live on Sky Sports.
Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Arsenal on Sunday eliminated Jonas Eidevall’s side from the title race and ensured that, with a victory at Reading, Chelsea will make it four consecutive WSL titles and complete the WSL-FA Cup double.
That result will also relegate Reading to the Championship, making it a terrible season for the Berkshire club, with the men’s team relegated to League One for the first time in 20 years.
Saturday 27th May 1:30pm
Kick off 2:30pm
However, if Reading were to shock Chelsea and win, they would survive relegation provided Leicester City lose at Brighton. That would also open the door for Manchester United, who could leapfrog Chelsea to claim their first WSL crown with a win at rivals Liverpool.
You can watch the action live on Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting at 1.30pm and kick-off at 2.30pm, with the match also broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.
Sky’s coverage will keep you up to date with all of the action from around the grounds on the final day of the season, meaning you will not miss any twists or turns in the title and relegation-deciding matches.
Arsenal should also confirm their place in next season’s Champions League by guaranteeing a third-placed finish with a draw or win at home to Aston Villa. Even if they lose, Manchester City would need to overcome an 11-goal deficit in goal difference to usurp Arsenal into third place with a win at home to Everton.
Watch the WSL title decider between Reading and Chelsea on the final day live on Sky Sports this Saturday from 1.30pm; kick-off 2.30pm
