Chloe Kelly's Man City departure got messy after forward asked to leave in search of more regular football; City's reluctance to let her join rivals Man Utd became point of contention; watch Man City vs Arsenal in the WSL live on Sky Sports this Sunday; kick-off 12pm. Kelly has been open with her frustrations, taking to social media before and after her move to Arsenal was completed.
She's accused Manchester City of trying to "assassinate her character" and "false accusations" after her relationship with the club deteriorated. Kelly sees the next few months as "pivotal" in her career, with Sarina Wiegman warning her first-team football is essential if she's to be selected by England for this summer's Euros. Kelly wanted to stay in the north west and Manchester United's interest seemed like the perfect solution, both on a personal and professional basis.
United's multiple approaches, however, were rejected which led to an increasing sense of disappointment and sadness on the player's part. A temporary move back to her teenage club Arsenal will hopefully see Kelly rediscover her form, and perhaps more importantly still, her smile. Why Walsh signing for Chelsea should concern Arsenal.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. Manchester City have tried to balance the will of the player and the needs of the club throughout. Sources inside the club insist they have worked hard to help find Kelly first-team football but the situation hasn't been simple. A loan offer from Brighton was accepted by the club but rejected by the winger, who held out for a more favourable move.
Insiders at Man City claim United's offer didn't meet the requirement of paying Kelly's wages in full. On the other hand, Sky Sports News has also been told United explored loan and permanent deals for the player. When Arsenal's offer came in a few hours before the deadline it represented a deal she was happy to take. As for the relationship between club and player, it's clear things became increasingly fractious as it got closer to the deadline.
