Bethany England has left Chelsea and joined Tottenham for a domestic transfer record fee for a women's footballer; England has scored 70 goals in 148 games for Chelsea but has played just six games this season; The Euro 2022 winner spent seven years with Emma Hayes' side
Wednesday 4 January 2023 12:27, UK
With Bethany England signing for Tottenham, Sky Sports News' Anton Toloui looks at the deal and why Chelsea were willing to sell one of England's best strikers.
Spurs have signed the Euro 2022 winner in a deal worth a reported £250,000, surpassing Lauren James' £200,000 move from Manchester United to Chelsea in 2021.
Here, Toloui breaks down what is set to be one of the biggest transfers in Women's Super League history.
Tottenham's season needs a spark and a high-profile No 9 is the flashiest way to do so.
Spurs' form in recent weeks has been sub-par, they're on a four-game WSL losing streak and haven't scored a single goal during that period.
They've only scored 11 goals in the league all season and eight of them came in the game against a Brighton side that went on to change their manager.
Speaking to Tottenham head coach Rehanne Skinner before the season, the club was optimistic it could improve on its fifth-place finish last season mainly thanks to addressing the issue of squad depth in the summer.
Now Spurs need a star to hitch their hopes to and England fits the bill.
Don't be fooled by the reported £250,000 price tag. Most of that won't be paid up-front and the figure is the maximum the deal can be worth after performance bonuses.
The transfer market in women's football is evolving fast, soon a quarter-of-a-million pounds for a Euros-winning striker won't seem much at all.
It may seem surprising for a club chasing the title and European glory to sell a proven goalscorer midway through the season, but question Chelsea's transfer strategy at your peril.
Chelsea are top of the league and on a nine-game winning run while averaging more than three goals a game.
England, however, has scored just twice, with the goals coming against the division's bottom two clubs during comprehensive victories.
Emma Hayes has been vocal about England's ability and development during her time at Chelsea, but did not want to stand in the way of her wishes.
England averaged 1.14 direct goal contributions every 90 minutes last season during Chelsea's WSL-winning campaign, hence Chelsea's seemingly high asking price.
Tottenham have now forked out the money for the striker and knowing Chelsea, they'll already have a replacement in mind.
It's time for Bethany England to be a leading No 9 in the WSL.
The striker averages a goal every 107.5 minutes in the league since 2018, one of the best ratios in the country.
But the form of Sam Kerr, Pernille Harder, Fran Kirby and now James has seen her struggle for starts at Chelsea.
To make matters worse, England has lost her place in the Lionesses squad with Alessia Russo, Rachel Daly and Ebony Salmon all playing as the main striker during the last few games.
At 28, England is now an experienced player that knows how to win on the biggest stage.
By paying a record fee for a British player, Tottenham have shown they believe she's the forward to take them to the next stage.
England will hope the move will do the same for her too.
