Gareth Taylor responds after Chloe Kelly hits out at Man City before joining Arsenal | OneFootball

Chloe Kelly joined Arsenal on loan in the last hours of deadline day in the WSL January transfer window.

The move away from Man City came after a lengthy and dramatic transfer saga. On Wednesday, the winger took to social media to express dissatisfaction with the treatment from her employers. Eventually the Lionesses’ star was granted her wish and allowed to leave the club.

“With the Euros fast approaching, this summer is a huge one and I want to be in a position to give it my best shot to represent my country,” Kelly wrote. “Something which has always filled me with such pride and it is a true honour to do so.

“However, to be dictated whom I can and can’t join with only four months left of the football season is having a huge impact on not only my career but my mental wellbeing. The situation has dragged on for too long, it’s disappointing and not right.”

The 27-year-old has started just one WSL game this season and in his press conference today, manager Gareth Taylor responded to the claims: “I can reply but I’d rather not go into specifics. I think what I would say is that it’s been really disappointing to come to this and the ending that it has transpired to.

“I’ve always tried to represent the club in the right way, be really dignified in the good moments, the difficult moments and certainly work for a club that has real integrity.

“It’s been a challenging couple of days for many people, not just myself. Obviously, a lot of people here at the club as well. We never like to hear that a player has not had a good experience of being at the club.”

“We are in a selection-based business where difficult decisions have to be made for the betterment of the team and sometimes people and players can fall on the sharp end of that,” he continued.

“But what I would say is that when you take yourself out of the situation and look at the move that’s been achieved. It is to a rival and they made the best offer.”

City’s manager denies the claims that City blocked Kelly’s wishes for a transfer away, adding: ”We certainly have not stood in the way of a player being able to go and make the move that they want to make.

“I’ve tried to give you a bit of an insight. I can’t really go into real detail about how we see it on our side of the story. We wish her all the best at her new club.

Kelly has joined Arsenal, where she played as a youngster before moving to the north-west. City face Arsenal on Sunday and just one point separates the two in the WSL table. Asked if he was worried about strengthening a rival, Taylor said: “No, not really. I think once the player expressed the desire to want to leave and to try and go on to a move that she felt was the right one for her.

“Arsenal made the best offer, so it was a simple one for us.

“We’re looking forward to now working with the players who are committed to the club.”