Hannah Hampton: Lionesses goalkeeper to leave Aston Villa amid Chelsea links
Hampton made 43 appearances in all competitions for Villa and helped Carla Ward's team achieve a fifth-placed finish for the 2022-23 WSL season; Hampton included in Sarina Wiegman's 23-player squad for this summer's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand
Thursday 15 June 2023 12:46, UK
England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton is to leave Aston Villa when her contract expires at the end of this month, the Women's Super League club have announced.
The 22-year-old, who joined Villa in the summer of 2021 after leaving Birmingham, has been linked with Chelsea.
Hampton made 43 appearances in all competitions for Villa and helped Carla Ward's team achieve a fifth-placed finish for the 2022-23 WSL season.
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Capped twice at senior international level, she was part of the England squad that won the European Championship on home soil last summer.
She received her first call-up since that tournament in March, with Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman saying Hampton had "needed to sort out some personal issues (and has) done that" and praising her form.
She has subsequently been included in Wiegman's 23-player squad for this summer's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Chelsea next for Hampton?
Sky Sports' Anton Toloui...
Hampton leaves Aston Villa with a move to Chelsea potentially lined up.
The problem for the talented 22-year-old is there are already three international 'keepers on the books in west London.
This would be a case of Chelsea not wanting to miss out on a player that could go on to be one of the best in her position in Europe, even if they have to play the long game.
If she did join Chelsea, then expect Hampton to be loaned to another WSL club next season so her progress can continue.
Chelsea are not the only WSL club that have wanted to sign Hampton, while there has also been interest from Spanish teams in the past, including Barcelona.
It's a bold move by Hampton to leave Villa, but one that will pay off if she eventually becomes Chelsea's No 1.
Meet the Lionesses
What a year it has been for the Lionesses.
Less than 12 months on from their Euro 2022 victory against Germany at Wembley, Sarina Wiegman and England are facing another major tournament and the chance to add more silverware to an ever-growing cabinet.
The Lionesses added another Arnold Clark Cup trophy in February, before beating Brazil in the inaugural Women's Finalissima at Wembley, winning on penalties. It was the first time England had won a competitive shootout, adding another layer of experience.
Another new experience, albeit a less welcome one, was their first defeat under Wiegman in April, beaten 2-0 by World Cup co-hosts Australia. The manager said she was "not worried" by the loss, while captain Leah Williamson said England would learn from the game.
Williamson's comments came just weeks before she tore her ACL in a WSL game against Manchester United, ending her World Cup dreams. Beth Mead too has missed out after her own ACL rupture in November, while Fran Kirby has missed much of the season with her own health issues.
But the Lionesses have proven their resilience in the past and Wiegman the mastermind. Despite recent setbacks, England will still head into the summer as one of the tournament favourites.
On May 31, Wiegman announced the 23 players that will be joining her on the plane to Australia and New Zealand. Here, we profile each player as we meet this summer's Lionesses...
Women's World Cup: BBC and ITV clinch late rights deal
All 64 matches in this summer's women's World Cup will be broadcast live on terrestrial TV in the UK after the BBC and ITV clinched a late joint rights deal.
The broadcasters issued a joint statement confirming the arrangement, which includes live audio commentary on BBC 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra.
The BBC and ITV will share the matches, including England's Group D openers against Haiti, Denmark and China, with the exception of the final, which will be broadcast on both BBC One and ITV1.
Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window opens on June 14 and closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?
Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.
