Arsenal and Chelsea dealt major transfer blow as Barcelona stance on midfield target emerges

Arsenal have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of Lionesses midfielder Keira Walsh, with Barcelona insisting the midfielder will not be sold before Friday night's transfer deadline.

The Gunners have been long-time admirers of the England international, who joined Barcelona from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 for what was, at the time, a world-record fee. Walsh's time in Catalonia has been a huge success, with the 27-year-old winning back-to-back league and Champions League titles and cementing herself as a mainstay in the team's engine room.

In spite of her impressive silverware haul, it is understood Walsh was keen to return to the Women's Super League (WSL) this summer in order to be closer to home. Arsenal have long been viewed as the frontrunners to land the midfielder, with the club's interest in her dating back to last summer.

Chelsea have also been touted as another potential destination for the former Blackburn Rovers prodigy, with the Blues still in the market for a midfielder. With Walsh set to be out of contract next summer, it was thought Barcelona could be tempted to cash in on the player this summer if a suitable offer arrived.

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However, according to The Telegraph, the Catalan club are unwilling to sell the midfielder before the transfer window closes at 11pm BST on Friday. Whether their resolve could be tested should a potential suitor swoop in with an eye-watering late offer remains to be seen but it now looks unlikely that Walsh will end up back in the WSL this summer.

Both Arsenal and Chelsea have recruited well in this window, however, with the Gunners signing Barcelona forward Mariona Caldentey, Aston Villa goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar and Swedish superstar Rosa Kafaji. Chelsea, meanwhile, have made six summer signings, including decorated Barcelona and England defender Lucy Bronze.

Both teams will begin their 2024/25 WSL campaigns next weekend, with Chelsea set to host Aston Villa on September 20 before Arsenal take on Manchester City on September 22.