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‘Character assassination’ and bitter fallout: Inside Chloe Kelly’s explosive transfer

Chloe Kelly celebrates scoring for England against China at the 2023 World Cup
Chloe Kelly was desperate for a move to revive her hopes of playing for England at Euro 2025 - AP/James Elsby

It has been the biggest – and most explosive – transfer saga in Women’s Super League history.

Chloe Kelly spent January trying to find a way out of Manchester City in a bid for more game time and to make England’s squad for Euro 2025.

Finally, at the eleventh-hour, City granted Kelly’s wish. The forward joined Arsenal on loan until the end of the season and now has a chance to get her career back on track.

Manchester United had been Kelly’s preferred destination and Telegraph Sport revealed City’s rivals wanted to take the forward on loan earlier this month.

But United had multiple loan bids rejected by City, who were adamant they would not allow Kelly to join their bitter rivals and did not receive an acceptable offer from them.

The twists and turns over the past month have been fascinating, with the player’s own explosive claims about “character assassination” and “negative behaviour” marking new territory in women’s football.

Telegraph Sport has been across every development. This is the story of how Kelly made the dramatic move to Arsenal and why her exit from City became inevitable.

Chloe Kelly of Manchester City celebrates after scoring during the Women's Super League match against Chelsea on October 8, 2023
Kelly struggled for game time at City having started just one league match this season - Getty Images/Robbie Jay Barratt

How the window played out

On Wednesday evening Kelly released a statement on social media in a bid to force through a move, stating her “mental well-being” was suffering because City “dictated” which team she could join.

For a long time City maintained that Brighton was the only suitable destination, the club adamant they did not want to strengthen a rival. In their view, allowing one of their players to sign for another club competing for a Champions League place was not an option.

United was always Kelly’s preferred destination and they were the first club to indicate their interest. As the window drew to a close, Brighton made their move before United came in with an offer.

City were willing to allow Kelly to join Brighton on loan, but the forward turned down that opportunity. Kelly had made it clear to the club her preference was to join a club competing for Europe and to stay closer to family in Manchester.

In a deadline-day twist, Arsenal came in with a loan offer better than Brighton’s. It is understood City had previously been reluctant to allow Kelly to join Arsenal, also rivals for the Champions League places.

But, ultimately, it was decided that the north London club’s offer was acceptable. United maintained their interest in Kelly and came back with improved bids. It is understood that part of the issue with United is whether they were willing to pay Kelly’s wages for the rest of the season. Telegraph Sport understands City did not deem any offer suitable but that United did indicate their desire to pay the entirety of Kelly’s salary.

With City steadfast in their rejection of United’s offer, Kelly opted to take the chance to join Arsenal, the club she started her career with.

City manager Gareth Taylor was asked on Friday whether he was concerned about Kelly joining a rival team. “No, not really,” he replied. “Look, once the player expresses a desire to leave and to go to a move that was the right one for her, then sometimes we have to look at what the best offer was and Arsenal made the best offer.

“We run this tight ship as a real business, we have to do that. Arsenal made the best offer so it was a simple one for us.”

Background that made move inevitable

The reality is that Kelly’s exit from City has been a long time coming.

Telegraph Sport understands that over the past two years her relationship with Taylor has broken down beyond repair. It is believed Kelly would have been happy to remain at City beyond this season had Taylor not been in charge.

This has not always been the case. The pair are understood to have had a positive relationship during the early years of Kelly’s time at City. The forward scored 10 goals in her first season with the club before sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the end of the season, which caused her to miss the 2021 Olympic Games.

She did not return to fitness until the end of the subsequent season but still made England’s squad for the European Championship, where she scored the winning goal in the final.

It is understood her relationship with Taylor slowly deteriorated following the Euros.

The signs that there was a possible breakdown were present last season when the forward was left on the bench for the Manchester derby. It was the fourth game in a row she had not made the starting XI, with Taylor commenting she had to “work hard every day in training to be ready”.

He also used Jess Park as an example of a player who had come back into the team after not playing. “The levels have to be good and that’s the same for all players,” Taylor said. “Jess is probably a case in point with that one, her attitude and her enthusiasm and her level of training performance was very good whether she played or not. That’s a big plus for her.”

Gareth Taylor
Kelly’s working relationship with City manager Gareth Taylor is understood to have deteriorated - Getty Images/Molly Darlington

Kelly entered this season in the final year of her contract and with little progress over a new deal. In October it became clear that she was unlikely to sign an extension. The forward had started just one league game, which is still the case, and had been an unused substitute on a number of occasions.

In November, England manager Sarina Wiegman admitted Kelly’s lack of game time was a concern and made it clear to the forward that she needed to play to ensure a place in her squad for this summer’s Euros.

Kelly suffered a concussion while on international duty but returned to City’s squad for their 2-1 defeat by Everton on December 15. She did not travel to Barcelona for City’s final game of 2024, with Taylor saying concussion symptoms had recurred.

The forward did play in the FA Cup victory over Ipswich on January 12 but sat out the Manchester derby six days later after Telegraph Sport reported United’s interest in signing her on loan. Kelly has not played since that game against Ipswich, with an ankle injury cited as the official reason for her absence.

The explosive statements

Kelly had not spoken publicly throughout the season until she broke her silence on Wednesday night in an astonishing statement on social media.

She said she would no longer “tolerate” someone’s “negative behaviour”, although she did not specifically name that person.

“A key lesson I have learnt in my life is that, whilst I can’t control someone’s negative behaviour towards me, I can control how long I am prepared to tolerate it,” Kelly wrote on Instagram.

“With the Euros fast approaching, this summer is a huge one and I want to be in a position to give it my best shot to represent my country.

“However, to be dictated whom I can and can’t join with only four months left of the football season is having a huge impact on not only my career but my mental well-being. The situation has dragged on for too long. It’s disappointing and not right.

“I am human and I have and will give everything to the game that I love. Ultimately, I just want to be happy again.”

Chloe Kelly shoots during Man City's FA Cup match with Ipswich on January 12, 2025
Kelly’s last match for City was their FA Cup win over Ipswich on January 12 - PA/Nick Potts

There were a number of supportive comments on Kelly’s Instagram post from a range of players within the game. Her City team-mates Kerstin Casparij and Khiara Keating both commented, while Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze also showed support.

In a further twist to this saga, Kelly took to social media again on Thursday night after her move to Arsenal was confirmed, claiming City were trying to “assassinate her character” with “false accusations”. Telegraph Sport has contacted City for a response.

Taylor said he was “disappointed” by Kelly’s statements and that it had been a “challenging” couple of days for himself and his staff.

“It’s been really disappointing to come to this and the ending that it has transpired to,” Taylor said.

“I’ve always tried to represent the club in the right way and be really dignified in the good moments, the difficult moments and certainly work for a club that has real integrity.

“Like I said, it has been really disappointing. It’s been a challenging couple of days for many people, not just myself. We never like to hear that a player has not a good experience of being at the club. I’m sure that’s not the case for the whole period, maybe this more recent period of not playing.

“We’ve certainly tried to support every player that we work with and always help the team. But we’re in a selection-based business where difficult decisions have to be made for the betterment of the team.

“Sometimes players can fall on the sharp end of that. What I would say is, when you take yourself out of the situation and look at the move that has been achieved, it’s to a rival and they made the best offer. So we’ve certainly not stood in her way of a player being able to go and make a move that they want to make.”

After insisting he does “not live in the world of social media” when asked about the strong accusations Kelly had made, Taylor was pressed on the language she had used.

“Well, they’re [the words] new to me,” Taylor said. “My job is to prepare the team for a big game against Arsenal at the weekend and work with the players who are really committed to the club.

“That’s my stance on it. I’ve tried to give you a bit of insight, I can’t really go into real detail about how we see it on our side of the story. We wish her all the best at her new club and she’s achieved the move that she was looking to do and that’s it.”

Wider implications of move

This is the first time a move in the WSL has played out like this, with a player using their social media platform to air grievances so publicly. As more money comes into the women’s game and profiles become higher, it could become more commonplace, as we have seen in men’s football.

It will also be interesting to see how this seemingly bitter fallout affects City. Kelly is a popular player, which is clear in the reaction to her Instagram posts, and the fact that some of her (then) club-mates commented shows there could be wider repercussions at the club.

How will players feel about the various twists and turns of this transfer saga? Will it affect team morale and performances? Taylor did not comment on whether he addressed the situation with his players but you would think he would have to acknowledge Kelly’s comments. He admitted the past couple of months has been challenging but that everyone at the club was at a point where they can “move on”.

City play Arsenal on Sunday and while Kelly will not be eligible to play against her parent club, it is a crucial match in the race for Champions League places. The Manchester club have lost ground in recent months, injuries not helping their goal to challenge Chelsea for the title, so a win at home against one of their big rivals is ever more important.

As for Kelly, it is clear she needs to start playing football again to ensure her place in the England squad for this summer’s Euros. There will be competition at Arsenal but she will have every chance of competing for a place in Renée Slegers’s team.

Two-and-a-half years ago Kelly twirled her shirt in the air in what became an iconic image. She was the match-winner in the 2022 Euros final and the country’s hero. It is unfathomable to imagine her not being part of the Lionesses squad when they look to defend their crown this summer.

Chloe Kelly swings her shirt over her head as she celebrates scoring the winning goal for England v Germany in the Euro 2022 final
Kelly’s celebration after scoring the winning goal against Germany in the Euro 2022 final has become an iconic image - Getty Images/Michael Regan

What is undeniable is that Kelly has to get back to being in a happy place. Her post on Instagram after her move to Arsenal was captioned: “Pursuit of happiness”.

It is clear that City was no longer a happy environment for her. It is now up to Kelly to rediscover that happiness at Arsenal and prove why she is still one of the best in the world.