Chelsea have announced the signing of French defender Eve Perisset to their women's team to complete their first transfer under new ownership. The 27-year-old has signed on a three-year deal and will join from Bordeaux on July 1st.
It is the Blues' first signing since the group led by Todd Boehly and including Clearlake Capital completed their takeover of the club from Roman Abramovich. That saw the special licence Chelsea had to operate under due to Ambramovich's sanctions no longer needed. Under the conditions of the licence, the west London side were unable to engage in new contracts and, as a consequence, unable to complete transfers.
The immediate aftermath of the takeover has already seen Chelsea extend their first deals in Emma Hayes' team, while Northern Ireland international Sam McClelland has seen a clause in his deal activated to ensure he is contracted to Cobham for another season.
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Perisset brings a wealth of experience to the Blues, having played for Lyon and PSG and lifted the French league title four times. The versatile defender has also recorded 35 caps since making her international debut in 2016 and is currently with France's EURO 2022 squad.
The new signing said: "It's a fantastic honour to join Chelsea and to be the first French female player to become a Blue! I am very thankful for the opportunity that has been given to me.
"The time was right for me to make this big move to London and join the English Super League, and I cannot wait to meet the team and the fans later this summer at Kingsmeadow and at the famous Stamford Bridge!"
