Chelsea sign Man Utd striker Malard for £850,000

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Chelsea have signed France forward Melvine Malard from Manchester United for a fee of about £850,000. The move, published on 14 July 2026 and updated on 20 July, reunites the 26-year-old with Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor, who previously worked with her at Lyon. Bompastor identified Malard during her time in Lyon’s academy and later gave her senior opportunities, including involvement from the bench in Lyon’s 2020 Champions League final win over Wolfsburg.

Malard moved to Manchester United from Lyon in 2023, first on loan, and was part of the side that won the Women’s FA Cup, the club’s first major trophy. According to BBC Sport, United wanted to keep her and offered a new contract, but she made clear earlier in the summer that she wished to leave. United then accepted a fee from Chelsea rather than risk losing her without a transfer fee next summer. Club sources described the deal to the BBC as a record sale for United’s women’s team.

The signing strengthens Chelsea’s attack after Australia captain Sam Kerr departed for Gotham FC in the United States. Malard is Chelsea’s third addition of the summer, following Katie McCabe and Manaka Matsukubo. BBC Sport notes that Malard had 19 goal involvements in all competitions last season, making her United’s most productive attacker by that measure.

Malard also arrives with extensive European and international experience. She has scored 17 goals in 46 Women’s Champions League matches and has won the competition four times. For France, she has 14 goals in 41 appearances and has featured at Euro 2022 and Euro 2025.