Sam Kerr’s arrival at Chelsea in 2020 was the most important switch in Girls’s Tremendous League historical past and there have been large expectations on the striker to ship.
After six-and-a-half years on the membership, Kerr has exceeded any expectations and can go down as one in all Chelsea’s best gamers – and one of many WSL’s.
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The 32-year-old has confirmed she is going to depart following a trophy-laden profession in England.
So what’s subsequent for Kerr and Chelsea?
What affect has Kerr had?
Sam Kerr missed most of 2023-24 and 2024-25 with an ACL harm [Getty Images]
The Australia ahead has been one of many best goalscorers in ladies’s soccer over the previous decade and has received 11 main trophies at Chelsea.
From thumping headers to audacious lobs and acrobatic backflips, Kerr has proven all of it throughout her spell in London.
Kerr arrived from Chicago Crimson Stars in January 2020 after agreeing a transfer with former Chelsea supervisor Emma Hayes.
Regardless of leaving the USA six years in the past, Kerr stays the all-time main scorer within the Nationwide Girls’s Soccer League.
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She additionally held the Australian W-League report upon her arrival at Chelsea and nonetheless sits third within the listing.
Kerr picked up the Golden Boot for 3 years in a row within the US – her final tally of 18 was the very best in a single marketing campaign till Temwa Chawinga scored 21 in 2024.
Goalscoring data continued at Chelsea as she struck 16 occasions in 29 video games in all competitions this season, changing into the membership’s all-time WSL high scorer with 64.
She has twice received the Golden Boot and was the WSL participant of the season in 2022 and the PFA followers’ participant of the 12 months in 2021 and 2022.
In 2023, she completed second within the Ballon d’Or voting after netting 29 targets in 38 appearances because the Blues safe a WSL and FA Cup double.
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Kerr’s 158th – and remaining – look may come on Saturday as Chelsea finish the season at residence to .
She departs because the Blues’ fourth-highest look maker and will transfer stage with all-time main scorer (112) if she scores on Saturday.
However additionally it is the timing of her targets which have confirmed so essential, with 22 of them proving to be the profitable strike in WSL video games.
The Australia captain, who’s the report scorer for her nation, has additionally netted in 5 FA Cup finals and 5 League Cup finals.
She is going to depart having received 5 WSL titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and the Neighborhood Defend.
Sam Kerr’s backflip celebrations are iconic [Getty Images]
What has led to her exit?
Kerr’s main standing at Chelsea was unquestionable earlier than she sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) harm in January 2024.
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It took her greater than 18 months to recuperate and he or she solely returned to full health within the second half of the present season – after Chelsea’s title problem had faltered.
In her absence throughout 2024-25, Chelsea went unbeaten domestically and received the treble in supervisor Sonia Bompastor’s debut marketing campaign.
Off the pitch, Kerr endured difficulties too. She was discovered not responsible of inflicting racially aggravated harassment in opposition to a Metropolitan Police officer in 2025 after a courtroom case which performed out within the public eye and precipitated controversy.
That led to calls in her residence nation to strip her of the Australia captaincy, whereas she stepped out of the limelight in England.
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It was a interval of change for Kerr as she bought married to former midfielder , whereas their son was born in Could final 12 months.
With Kerr sidelined, Bompastor seemed elsewhere for attacking choices with England ahead stepping up, whereas the arrival of the USA’s added high quality this season.
England’s Aggie Beever-Jones is one in all Chelsea’s most pure strikers, though accidents have disrupted her marketing campaign, whereas Colombia star Mayra Ramirez has not featured in any respect in 2025-26 – which means the quantity 9 position has been a problem.
Having began simply 4 matches within the WSL this season, Kerr’s exit was on the playing cards regardless of six targets and two assists in 17 appearances.
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She picked up kind through the Asian Cup in March – Australia had been crushed by Japan within the remaining and he or she scored 4 targets in six matches.
On her return, Kerr began six successive video games, together with Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final defeat by wherein she scored.
That confirmed she nonetheless has loads left within the tank and stays one of many world’s most prolific goalscorers.
Kerr’s future is unknown, however sources near the participant have steered a return to the NWSL within the USA is on the playing cards.
Australian broadcaster 10 Information reported final month that Kerr had agreed a transfer to Denver Summit – though the striker dismissed it on social media on the time.
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She will likely be onerous to interchange at Chelsea, however Bompastor has already confirmed shopping for a quantity 9 is excessive on the membership’s precedence listing for the summer season.
It’s a transitional interval for the membership with numerous senior gamers leaving this 12 months, together with captain , midfielder and striker .
Given their harm issues this 12 months and a subsequent lack of squad depth in attacking positions, Chelsea will wish to herald ready-made expertise to spice up their prospects after a poor marketing campaign by their excessive requirements.
Manchester Metropolis’s top-scorer is high of Chelsea’s wishlist, however whoever they signal to interchange Kerr may have monumental boots to fill.
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Regardless of not being absolutely match for many of this season, Kerr will nonetheless end it as her membership’s highest scorer in all competitions and the one one to hit double figures.
For the reason that begin of final season within the WSL, Beever-Jones has scored 13 targets and the closest team-mate is James on eight. Kerr scored six and was lacking for over a 12 months of that point.
All of that exhibits Chelsea have work to do to rebuild their frontline and compete with Europe’s finest golf equipment.
Objectives scored by different Chelsea forwards within the WSL since final season [Getty Images]
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Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are again for one more season of the Girls’s Soccer Weekly podcast. New episodes drop each Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus discover interviews and additional content material from the Girls’s Tremendous League and past on the