What next for Chelsea & Kerr as striker exits?

She also held the Australian W-League record upon her arrival at Chelsea and still sits third in the list.

Kerr picked up the Golden Boot for three years in a row in the US - her last tally of 18 was the highest in a single campaign until Temwa Chawinga scored 21 in 2024.

Goalscoring records continued at Chelsea as she struck 16 times in 29 games in all competitions this season, becoming the club's all-time WSL top scorer with 64.

She has twice won the Golden Boot and was the WSL player of the season in 2022 and the PFA fans' player of the year in 2021 and 2022.

In 2023, she finished second in the Ballon d'Or voting after netting 29 goals in 38 appearances as the Blues secure a WSL and FA Cup double.

Kerr's 158th - and final - appearance could come on Saturday as Chelsea end the season at home to Manchester United.

She departs as the Blues' fourth-highest appearance maker and could move level with all-time leading scorer Fran Kirby (112) if she scores on Saturday.

But it is also the timing of her goals that have proven so crucial, with 22 of them proving to be the winning strike in WSL games.

The Australia captain, who is the record scorer for her country, has also netted in five FA Cup finals and five League Cup finals.

She will depart having won five WSL titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups and the Community Shield.

Sam Kerr's backflip celebrations are iconic [Getty Images]

What has led to her exit?

Kerr's leading status at Chelsea was unquestionable before she sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in January 2024.

It took her more than 18 months to recover and she only returned to full fitness in the second half of the current season - after Chelsea's title challenge had faltered.

In her absence during 2024-25, Chelsea went unbeaten domestically and won the treble in manager Sonia Bompastor's debut campaign.

Off the pitch, Kerr endured difficulties too. She was found not guilty of causing racially aggravated harassment against a Metropolitan Police officer in 2025 after a court case which played out in the public eye and caused controversy.

That led to calls in her home country to strip her of the Australia captaincy, while she stepped out of the limelight in England.

It was a period of change for Kerr as she got married to former West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, while their son was born in May last year.

With Kerr sidelined, Bompastor looked elsewhere for attacking options with England forward Lauren James stepping up, while the arrival of the USA's Alyssa Thompson added quality this season.

England's Aggie Beever-Jones is one of Chelsea's most natural strikers, although injuries have disrupted her campaign, while Colombia star Mayra Ramirez has not featured at all in 2025-26 - meaning the number nine role has been an issue.

Having started just four matches in the WSL this season, Kerr's exit was on the cards despite six goals and two assists in 17 appearances.

She picked up form during the Asian Cup in March - Australia were beaten by Japan in the final and she scored four goals in six matches.

On her return, Kerr started six successive games, including Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester City in which she scored.

That showed she still has plenty left in the tank and remains one of the world's most prolific goalscorers.

Aston Villa will be glad they do not have to face Kerr next season [Getty Images]

Where does Kerr go next & how will Chelsea replace her?

Kerr's future is unknown, but sources close to the player have suggested a return to the NWSL in the USA is on the cards.

Australian broadcaster 10 News reported last month that Kerr had agreed a move to Denver Summit - although the striker dismissed it on social media at the time.

She will be hard to replace at Chelsea, but Bompastor has already confirmed buying a number nine is high on the club's priority list for the summer.

It is a transitional period for the club with a number of senior players leaving this year, including captain Millie Bright, midfielder Guro Reiten and striker Catarina Macario.

Given their injury concerns this year and a subsequent lack of squad depth in attacking positions, Chelsea will want to bring in ready-made talent to boost their prospects after a poor campaign by their high standards.

Manchester City's top-scorer Khadija Shaw is top of Chelsea's wishlist, but whoever they sign to replace Kerr will have enormous boots to fill.

Despite not being fully fit for most of this season, Kerr will still finish it as her club's highest scorer in all competitions and the only one to hit double figures.

Since the start of last season in the WSL, Beever-Jones has scored 13 goals and the nearest team-mate is James on eight. Kerr scored six and was missing for over a year of that time.

All of that shows Chelsea have work to do to rebuild their frontline and compete with Europe's best clubs.

Goals scored by other Chelsea forwards in the WSL since last season [Getty Images]

[BBC]

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