It was iconic image of the 2022 European Championship: Chloe Kelly stripping off her shirt and wheeling it above her head, white sports bra on show. The Manchester City winger had just scored the winner against Germany and her celebration symbolised a transformational moment for women’s football in England.
That moment also signified an individual transformation off the pitch. Kelly was on the front page of Grazia UK, presented at the 2023 Brit Awards, modelled with Calvin Klein, went on British TV shows The Jonathan Ross Show and Loose Women, and was named Time Out London’s Londoner of 2022. She became the poster girl of England’s triumph for the following six months and experienced a whirlwind of recognition which transcended the sport.
Kelly continued to play a crucial role for City throughout the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Women’s Super League seasons, but since the start of the 2024-2025 campaign, her game time has plummeted — she has played just 169 league minutes so far this season.
According to sources with knowledge of the matter, who, like all in this article, wish to remain anonymous to protect relations, there has been a breakdown in relationship with City manager Gareth Taylor, as first reported by the Daily Mail in October. One source who spoke to said the relationship started to become strained following the Euros and has slowly deteriorated.
That is not only an issue for her at club level but international level too. If she is to stand any chance playing for England at this summer’s Euros in Switzerland, she needs to play.
Even England manager Sarina Wiegman, who selected Kelly despite her only playing 56 league minutes between the October and November international camps, said at a press conference before the United States game in November that her situation was a “concern right now”.
The 26-year-old’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season which means she is now able to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs. Securing game time in the next six months is crucial for Kelly to maintain her England spot, so where will it come from?
Despite reports last year of Paris Saint-Germain’s interest, there has never been contact between the French side and City. A player of Kelly’s calibre who is in the last six months of their contract, however, would be an appealing prospect to many clubs, including PSG.
Taylor, however, said at a pre-match press conference on Friday there was “no news on any kind of deals at all” and Kelly is “our player” and “a part of the team”. Kelly attended City’s winter training camp in Abu Dhabi last week and Taylor said she “looked really sharp, fresh, (with) renewed energy and optimism for this period”.
For the first time since September, Kelly played 90 minutes on Sunday against third-tier side Ipswich Town in the FA Cup fourth round. She passed the ball well, got into good positions and assisted Vivianne Miedema in City’s 3-0 win, but at times looked rusty and could have been more aggressive with her carries.
“Chloe’s got good history here at the club,” said Taylor post-match on Sunday. “She knows she has to contribute and today she contributed. That sets her up really nicely for the next few games.” Those comments hint that Kelly could feature more in the near future.
When asked if he wants the winger to stay at City, Taylor said: “For this period, yes of course. It’s really important that the player and club are aligned in what they want to do. Sometimes players leave teams. This happens. They want to go on to try something different or new. But we have to focus on now. That’s what we’ve really spoken to Chloe about: ‘Come on, we can really impact this now. Let’s not waste time regardless of where the journey ends. Let’s make the most of the time we do have together’.”
Kelly could leave in January on loan for the rest of the season, or leave on a permanent deal, if City sanction a move. She could sign that pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs. She could also stay, in the hope Taylor reintegrates her into the starting XI.
However, if a new contract is not negotiated with City, she can leave for free in June. A source close to the situation says the club and player remain open to dialogue, but with the previous breakdown in the relationship, Kelly’s future at City is unknown.
Kelly has started just one of 10 Women’s Super League games, a stark contrast to last season when she made Taylor’s league starting XI 18 out of 22 times. Data shows there was very minimal drop-off in her overall output from the 2023-24 season compared to the 2022-23 season. Her total of 70 take-ons last season were the sixth-highest of any WSL player.
In response to reports in October of a deterioration in their relationship which had stalled contract negotiations, Taylor described the matter as a “non-event” during a press conference that month, confirmed there was no news regarding Kelly’s contract and said she had been “working hard, (was) engaged and aligned”.
Kelly had started every league game of the 2023-24 campaign, but was dropped to the bench against Brighton on March 17, coming on as a substitute in the 78th minute. Taylor then did not start Kelly for the next three consecutive games, including the Manchester derby when she did not feature at all.
Taylor said she had to “work hard every day in training to be ready”. For their last three games of the season, however, Kelly played nearly every minute, as City pushed unsuccessfully for the WSL title.
Following a summer break in which she got married, Kelly was raring to go for pre-season and approached it with positivity, according to a source close to the player. But she started one out of three friendlies and did not start against Paris FC in Champions League qualifying nor the opening WSL game against Arsenal.
Her first start of this season came in the second leg against Paris FC in September when City were already leading by an aggregate score of 5-0. Kelly made the most of her opportunity with a goal, an assist and the player of the match award.
When asked if she had done enough to warrant a starting position, Taylor said: “This whole thing about the starting position, the team is going to change so much. To expect Chloe Kelly to play every single game, it’s not easy.” Despite her performance, she did not feature in City’s next game against Brighton. So far this campaign, Taylor has opted instead for summer signing Aoba Fujino, Mary Fowler and academy graduate Lily Murphy.
Despite her only starting one of City’s first four WSL games, Wiegman selected Kelly for her October squad because, as she said during the press conference, she “built some credit” with the Lionesses, but emphasised the importance of game time for selection.
“When I do get the minutes and opportunities, it’s about taking them, being confident in my ability,” said Kelly after her substitute appearance against Germany in October. “Tonight, she gave belief in me and hopefully I can keep repaying that belief. To have the backing of a great manager like Sarina is amazing. My job is here with England. But, of course, I’m a player that wants minutes.”
It has been a testing time for the forward. In October, City goalkeeping coach Diego Restrepo reposted one of Kelly’s photos of the pair on her Instagram stories with the caption: “Building your confidence amiga (friend).”
The north has been her home ever since Arsenal loaned her to Everton in 2016 but, if Taylor continues to restrict Kelly’s minutes, it is hard to see her future at City beyond this season. More urgently, she will not want to miss Euro 2025, especially since she tasted the sweet success of 2022.
With the January window open, it is time to stick or twist.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Manchester City, UK Women’s Football
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