Women’s Super League title holders, Chelsea, have today announced the signing of Danish forward Pernille Harder on a three-year contract.
The four-time Bundesliga champion has ended her contract a year early with German side Wolfsburg in order to join the London Blues, with a transfer fee of a rumoured €300,000.
Harder has most recently led Wolfsburg to the final of the Champions League, in which they were beaten by French champions, Lyon, 3-1.
Captain for both club and country, the 27-year-old boasts a prolific career to date. Regarded as one of the most accomplished players in the world, Harder’s exceptional forward vision, positional intelligence and maturing leadership saw her named as Europe’s best player in 2018.
Harder is also a notable goal scorer. She flaunts 103 goals in 113 appearances for Wolfsburg, 27 of those scored last season, as well as 61 goals in 118 appearances for Denmark.
On her move to Chelsea, Harder remarked, “I’m excited to play for such a big club, to play with so many amazing players and to also be playing in the [WSL] league. The English league is so exciting at the moment and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Chelsea boss, Emma Hayes commented, “She is a fantastic player who wants to take her game to the next level. She chose Chelsea as the club that can push her to that level. She can play for any team in the world, but she chose us.”
Harder joins the Blues wearing the number 23 shirt and will find herself amongst a pool of class attacking talent. Lionesses Beth England and Fran Kirby, Scottish international Erin Cuthbert and Australian star Sam Kerr bolster the Chelsea attacking ranks.
With the Blues off to a flying start already, winning the Community Shield last week, the arrival of Pernille will no doubt make Chelsea’s already formidable attacking formation that much Harder to stop.
Photo: @ChelseaFCW
