Malard Leaves United for Chelsea in £850k Deal After Rejecting New Contract | OneFootball

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Manchester United Women striker Melvine Malard for about £850,000, with the 26-year-old France international set to undergo a medical before completing her move to Stamford Bridge.

The deal was confirmed by BBC Sport journalists Nizaar Kinsella and Emma Sanders, who also reported that Malard will reunite with Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor – the pair having previously worked together at Lyon before Malard joined United in 2023.

Why United Agreed to Sell

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United had hoped to keep Malard by offering her a new contract, but she informed the club she wanted to leave. Rather than risk losing her for nothing next summer, the Reds negotiated a fee with Chelsea – a pragmatic call given Malard’s standing as statistically their most productive attacker last season, contributing 19 goal involvements across all competitions.

Losing that kind of output is a significant blow. Malard had established herself as the focal point of United Women’s attack, and the club now faces a real challenge replacing that productivity.

Chelsea’s Attacking Build-Up

Malard is set to become Chelsea’s third signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Katie McCabe and midfielder Manaka Matsukubo. Bompastor is rebuilding her attacking options following Sam Kerr’s departure to Gotham FC, and Malard – who knows the manager’s system intimately from their Lyon days – is a purposeful addition rather than a speculative one.

It is worth noting that Chelsea are paying a meaningful fee for a player entering what should be her peak years. The £850,000 figure reflects both Malard’s proven WSL form and the leverage United retained by having her under contract.

United now needs to move quickly to address the gap Malard leaves at the top of the pitch.