Chelsea have made a move to sign Hammarby midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross, according to The Mirror.
The English tabloid claims the Blues have entered “talks” to buy the 21-year-old, who was one of Australia’s outstanding performers at the World Cup.
Manager Emma Hayes would have kept a close eye on Cooney-Cross during her commentary duties at the tournament, with scouts having also been present to watch her in action.
The Australian international is, however, attracting interest from a number of other teams, including Manchester United, Everton, Juventus and Lyon.
Cooney-Cross’s contract with Hammarby expires in January so, if she does decide to make the switch to Stamford Bridge, it won’t cost a great deal to bring her in.
What do Chelsea fans need to know about Cooney-Cross?
The midfielder started her career at Ballarat City, before getting her big break when she joined Melbourne City in 2017.
Cooney-Cross has had two spells with the W League club, having spent a season with Western Sydney Wanderers in between.
Her most memorable moment came when she scored for Melbourne directly from a corner in extra time, beating Sydney FC 1-0 in the 2021 W-League Grand Final. She then moved to her current team Hammarby in March last year.
Cooney Cross’s performances at the World Cup turned heads
The midfielder was in the lineup for the Matildas’ first group game of the 2023 World Cup last month, playing the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 win over the Republic of Ireland.
Cooney-Cross started every match at the tournament, including the 3rd placed playoff, and she only failed to finish a game once, being subbed four minutes before the end of extra time in the quarter-final against France.
With Sam Kerr being her teammate as well, you would think that Chelsea have an excellent chance of securing Cooney Cross’s signature ahead of rival clubs. We shall see if the move is finalised over the coming days.
