Earlier this week, Chelsea Women announced the signing of former Liverpool forward Niamh Charles.
The attacker joins the Blues on a three-year deal after enduring a difficult campaign with the Reds, who were relegated at the end of this season. Joining Emma Hayes’ ranks will be a massive learning curve in Charles’ career, but it could also have equal positives for the club.
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After spending her entire senior career on Merseyside, 21-year-old Charles has opted to leave Liverpool in search of pastures new. The club she devoted five years to to hit a slump over the last two campaigns, with the 2019/20 season proving to be their demise.
The Reds were demoted from the Women’s Super League following a points-per-game decision on how the term should be decided (via BBC Sport). Other big names at the club including striker Courtney Sweetman-Kirk and first-choice goalkeeper Anke Preuss also opted to depart.
Charles penning three years is a huge move for her, as many women’s footballers are often only given deals for a season at a time. Her growth will undoubtedly spike under the influence of Hayes and surrounded by world class players.
The winger is a real driving force across the front three and can make defenders struggle to contain her. Charles made her Liverpool debut at 16 and netted 11 goals across 59 appearances (via BBC Sport).
Although she has a lot of promise and is a very dedicated player, there’s room for improvement. The 21-year-old will benefit from playing alongside the likes of Australia international Sam Kerr and Beth England, who finished as the WSL’s joint top scorer this season (14), only behind Golden Boot winner Vivianne Miedema by number of assists (as per BBC Sport).
Kerr holds impressive accolades such as winning three consecutive Golden Boots and dominating both the Australian W-League and USA’s NWSL.
Players like this will be imperative to Charles’ growth, but in turn, she could help the Blues to secure a back-to-back WSL title by providing much-needed squad depth.
Do you think Charles could be influential in a Chelsea shirt? Join the conversation in the comments below…
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