Chelsea confirm signing of Arsenal star in transfer coup | OneFootball

Blues land highly experienced defensive reinforcement on free transfer

The 30-year-old Ireland international, capped 105 times, is due to depart the Gunners at the expiration of her current contract on July 1, and she will sign with the Blues until June 2029.

She has represented the Arsenal for 11 years, racking up 305 appearances as she helped the club to the WSL title in 2019 and Champions League glory in 2025.

Best known for her positional versatility, which enables her to play as a left-back, left wing and centre-back, McCabe is known to be a childhood Chelsea fan.

Katie McCabe will wear No15 for Chelsea

Harriet Lander, Chelsea FC

She was not present at Arsenal’s title parade on Sunday, where the women’s team celebrated their UEFA Champions Cup title as the men touted the Premier League title.

On signing, McCabe said: “It's a new chapter in my career. This is something that I feel I'm ready for right now.

“I'm really excited to get going and show the Chelsea fans how ready I am to perform for the badge.

“I’m so looking forward to walking out at Stamford Bridge as a home player, being around the fan base and competing for trophies on all fronts.

“This club has been successful for so many years. I want to keep pushing and driving that, and for me, it's about bringing that success back to Chelsea.”

As Arsenal continued their trophy-winning momentum, Chelsea endured a 2025/26 season well below their lofty standards.

They were triumphant in the League Cup, but recorded their worst WSL points tally since 2018/19 and were dumped out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by McCabe’s Arsenal.