Matildas star Ellie Carpenter has signed a four-year deal with Super League giants Chelsea, ending her successful stint at 2025 Champions League semi-finalists Lyon.
The 25-year-old defender will link up with Matildas skipper Sam Kerr in London after penning a four-year-deal.
The Australian international was welcomed into the six-times Super League champions’ fold by Paul Green, head of women’s football at Chelsea, on Wednesday.
“Ellie is a player who we have tracked for many years. She has a lot of experience for someone of her age and has won numerous titles in her career, including the Champions League,” Green said on the club’s website.
“She is an athletic fullback who loves to get forward. We are excited to see how she continues to develop and what she will add to an already talented squad of players.
“Everyone at Chelsea warmly welcomes Ellie to the club, and we wish her every success during her time as a Blue.”
Carpenter was stoked.
“I’m really excited about this new challenge, it’s a new adventure,” said Carpenter. “It feels like the right move for me, and I can’t wait to get started and give my all for this club.
‘I’m very proud to join such a big club, one of the biggest in women’s football. Chelsea have enjoyed so much success in England, and I’m delighted to now be a part of it.”
The hard-running right back and Matildas stalwart joined Lyon in 2020 and became the first Australian player to win a Women’s Champions League medal.
She claimed league titles in four of her five seasons there and added a second Champions League trophy under the guidance of current Blues boss Sonia Bompastor in 2022.
Carpenter has made 87 appearances for the women’s national team, making her Matildas debut at the tender age of 15 against Vietnam.
© AAP
