4 months ago
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For WSL fans, the news that Chloe Kelly, Mary Earps and Lauren Hemp could all be on their way to Europe at the end of the season is not at all welcome.
The trio would become the latest Lionesses to leave the English league for the draw of better crowds and better weather.
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Certainly, Manchester City will do what they can to retain Kelly and Hemp - winning the WSL title this season would probably help their case - and Manchester United are desperate to keep Earps.
But even if they fail, then the WSL's loss could well be England's gain.
If the Three Lions are anything to go by, then having some of England's biggest stars shine across European leagues is no bad thing.
Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are perhaps the best examples of this.
The England captain bid an emotional farewell to his boyhood club Tottenham in 2023 as he signed for Bayern Munich on a four-year contract.
But he has continued to be prolific in Germany, scoring 28 times in 27 appearances in all competitions.
He has already broken the record for the top-scoring Englishman in a single Bundesliga season and is on track to break the club record for most goals by one player in a season too.
Likewise, Bellingham looks like he has found the perfect place to nurture his career.
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The 20-year-old has taken like a duck to water after signing for Real Madrid in 2023.
He has already scored 18 times in 28 appearances from a midfield role and also won the Supercopa with the club in January.
Emmanuel Petit insists Jude Bellingham is ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane, and is the best player in world football right now
He too is breaking records: he became the first player to score in all four of his first Champions League appearances for Real Madrid.
Jordan Henderson and Fikayo Tomori are further proof.
The former is already become a popular addition to Ajax, after his brief spell in the Saudi Pro League.
It hasn't dampened his Euro 2024 chances either as Henderson has seen Gareth Southgate make a flight to the Netherlands and see the midfielder in action.
And despite a long absence from the England setup, Tomori's performances at AC Milan earned him an England call-up in October 2023 where he appeared in their 1-0 friendly win over Australia.
But it is not just England Men that seem to thrive abroad.
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A number of Lionesses have already made a splash in a number of European leagues.
If Kelly, Earps and Hemp make European moves, fans can at least take comfort that it might be the right decision given England's international dreams.
Which Lionesses have gone abroad already?
Lucy Bronze (Barcelona)
Lucy Bronze has been the lynchpin of England's defence for over a decade, having been part of every major tournament for the Lionesses since 2013.
After winning a WSL title, two League Cups and two FA Cups with Manchester City, she signed for Barcelona in 2022.
It is not her first time playing abroad: the defender also spent three seasons with Lyon, winning the French first division and the Champions League in every single one.
She has won almost everything there is to win in football - that one elusive title being the World Cup, which she came so close to lifting with England last year.
At 33 years old, the right-back shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon but it remains to be seen whether she will be part of the squad when Sarina Wiegman leads England at the 2027 Women's World Cup.
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Keira Walsh
Bronze was joined at Barcelona by her former Manchester City teammate Keira Walsh, who recently made the FIFA World XI for the second year running.
The midfield maestro set a new world record transfer fee when she signed for the Spanish club in 2022.
The £400,000 price tag has already paid off though, with Walsh having been instrumental in securing Barcelona a league title, a Champions League win and two Supercopa victories in her time with the club so far.
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Georgia Stanway
It is not just in Spain that the Lionesses are making their mark.
England midfielder Georgia Stanway ended a seven-year spell at Manchester City in 2022 when she signed for Bayern Munich on a three-year-deal.
The 25-year-old has already scored ten times in her 41 club appearances and she won the Frauen Bundesliga in her first season in Germany.
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Who could be set to follow them abroad this year?
Chloe Kelly
The Man City winger became a household name during England's Euro 2022 victory.
It was her 110th-minute goal that secured the historic win and she has continued to impress at club at country level ever since.
Never one to shy away from big moments, it was Kelly who stepped up to take England's final penalty in the 2023 Women's Finalissima, earning them the win over Brazil.
Now she is reportedly attracting attention from outside the WSL and it looks like City will have to fight to keep her.
European giants PSG are hoping to tempt Kelly with a contract that would make her Europe's highest-paid women's player.
Although her City contract does not run out until the middle of next year, a bad run-in for the club this year could well see her succumb to the pull of the continent.
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Mary Earps
The seemingly endless question of 'Will she? Won't she?' will surely get its answer at the end of this season when Earps' contract with Manchester United is set to run out.
The Red Devils have made no secret of their desire for their star goalkeeper to stay, but their poor performances this season have made it even more unlikely that Earps will stay.
Having previously expressed her ambitions to win trophies, Manchester United is looking less and less like the place to do that, with their Champions League, WSL and League Cup hopes already gone this season.
And there will be no shortage of options if Earps does decide to go.
Although there is WSL interest from Arsenal, the more attractive offer could come from PSG who are reportedly keen to sign Earps.
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Lauren Hemp
Kelly is not the only Man City winger who has impressed scouts.
It looks like Barcelona could be looking for another Lioness to join their ranks as they set their sights on winger Lauren Hemp.
Hemp has been instrumental in everything good for the Citizens this season and will undoubtedly continue to be so as they go for a first WSL title since 2016.
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