Barcelona have accepted a bid from Chelsea for Keira Walsh and the England midfielder is expected to undergo a medical in London on Thursday. The transfer fee is understood to be in the region of €550,000 (£460,000), which would make the deal the fourth most expensive in the history of women’s football.

The two clubs reached an agreement overnight, inside the final 24 hours of the window, which closes at 11pm on Thursday and Barcelona gave Walsh permission to travel to London.

The 27-year-old would be eligible to be registered for Chelsea’s Champions League squad for the knockout stages and therefore could theoretically be set for a reunion against her former side if they were to meet in the competition this season. Walsh has helped Barcelona win back-to-back Champions League titles in the past two seasons.

The midfielder’s contract is due to expire in the summer. Arsenal targeted Walsh last summer and she was ­reportedly the subject of a bid from the club, who have been heavily linked with her for several months.

Related: Arsenal set to sign USWNT defender Jenna Nighswonger from Gotham FC

Chelsea’s move for Walsh comes just days after they broke the world record with a fee of $1.1m (£890,000) to sign the United States defender Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave.

Walsh’s latest transfer fee would mean that two of the top five most expensive transfers in women’s football would involve the former Manchester City midfielder as she moved to Barcelona from City for around £400,000 in 2022.

In the leadup to Thursday’s 11pm deadline, meanwhile, another ­Lioness could be on the move. Chloe Kelly says she has accepted she has no future at Manchester City beyond the end of her contract which expires in June, breaking her silence after weeks of speculation about her future.

Liverpool put five goals past their fellow WSL side West Ham United away from home in the Women's FA Cup and set up a fifth-round tie away to third-tier side Rugby Borough, live on the BBC.

Matt Beard's team were truly dominant from the start and eventually coasted to victory after West Ham were reduced to 10 players when Amber Tysiak was sent off for violent conduct. By then, Liverpool were already two goals up and they completed a 5-0 victory thanks to second-half efforts from Grace Fisk, Lucy Parry and the Scotland international midfielder Sam Kerr.

Arsenal were also 5-0 winners, against Championship opposition at home to Bristol City, in another of the four fourth-round ties that was rescheduled because of wintry weather earlier in January.

The England forward Beth Mead and Swedish striker Stina Blackstenius each scored twice for the hosts, with Frida Maanum also getting on the scoresheet for the record 14-time winners of the Women's FA Cup. They will now host another second-tier side, London City Lionesses, in round five.

Everton will travel to league leaders Chelsea after claiming a 2-0 victory at home to Tottenham The France forward Kelly Gago scored her first goal for Everton since her January arrival from the French club Nantes, to open the scoring for the hosts, before Heather Payne made the win safe in second-half stoppage time.

WSL side Brighton booked a trip to face Aston Villa with a 4-1 win at home to Championship side Durham, with the 18-year-old England youth international striker Michelle Agyemang among the goalscorers for Brighton.

Women's FA Cup fifth-round draw

Wolves v Manchester United

Chelsea v Everton

Portsmouth v Sunderland

Manchester City v Leicester

Crystal Palace v Newcastle

Aston Villa v Brighton

Rugby Borough v Liverpool

Arsenal v London City Lionesses

The winger has been increasingly frozen out at City, making only one start in the WSL this season amid reports linking her with a move away from the club. She accused City of “dictating” who she can and cannot join and said the situation is having an impact on her mental wellbeing.

Posting a lengthy statement on Instagram on Wednesday evening, Kelly said: “For a long time I’ve tried to work through profes­sional challenges privately, not commenting publicly, but with my situation increasingly being debated in the public domain, I feel it’s time to be open and transparent.

“A key lesson I have learned 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.

“With my contract expiring in June, I’ve accepted my future is not at this club beyond then. 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 well­being. The situation has dragged on far too long, it’s disappointing and not right.” Kelly concluded her statement by saying: “Ultimately I just want to be happy again.”

City are understood to be open to allowing Kelly to leave the club in this transfer window and an offer is believed to be on the table.