Chelsea are set to sign Ireland captain Katie McCabe following her departure from Arsenal. The 30-year-old left the Gunners after her contract expired, having made 305 appearances during an 11-year spell. Considered one of the club's best players in the Women's Super League era, McCabe helped Arsenal win the title in 2019.
The versatile defender, who can also play as a winger or centre-back, was absent from Arsenal's celebration on Sunday to celebrate their Champions Cup victory in February. Chelsea have shown a long-term interest in McCabe, managing to fend off competition from WSL champions Manchester City to secure his signature.
Chelsea made an approach for McCabe in 2015, but she opted to join Arsenal. In 2023, Chelsea tried again, but their proposal was rejected. McCabe received a contract extension in April but decided to look for other opportunities, with Chelsea and City expressing interest.
McCabe played a key role in Arsenal winning the Champions League in 2025, as well as winning an FA Cup, three League Cups and a Champions Cup medal. The player is now set to join a club that has been one of Arsenal's biggest rivals and which she helped eliminate in the Champions League quarter-finals in April.
During the second game of that European clash, Chelsea coach Sonia Bompastor was sent off for expressing her frustration over a foul on Alyssa Thompson by McCabe. Last Saturday, Chelsea won the World Sevens Series, and Thompson playfully recreated the foul scene during the team's entrance.
McCabe's arrival bolsters a Chelsea squad that was worn down after losing the WSL title last season and is still chasing a Champions League trophy. What McCabe's addition means for the squad is unclear as Real Madrid are among the next clubs Niamh Charles and Lucy Bronze, who both have their contracts out this summer and are yet to confirm whether they have signed an extension.