The 22-year-old has put pen to paper on a two-year deal, following the conclusion of her contract with fellow Barclays FA Women’s Super League outfit Everton, and will wear the number 9 shirt.
One of the brightest young talents in the English game, Kelly has earned plaudits for her impressive displays in the 2019/20 campaign, in which she hit the headlines with nine goals in 12 appearances - several of those long-range Goal of the Season contenders.
Eager to continue her rapid development, compete for silverware and experience Champions League football, Kelly has made the move to Manchester, expressing her ‘honour’ to be donning sky blue.
“I’m unbelievably excited. I’m just so happy to have the deal sorted and I can’t wait to get going - I’m honoured to be a City player,” she smiled.
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“Manchester City are a hugely ambitious club whose aspirations match my own and as soon as I had my initial discussions with the staff, I knew there and then that it was the place I wanted to be.
“Having spoken to Gareth [Taylor] too after he joined the team, I could sense immediately what a great manager he is and I was excited by the idea of working with him.
“The development made by a number of young players at the Club was massive for me, and the opportunity to play Champions League football was a real draw too.
“Now it’s all sorted, I’m genuinely so excited for what is to come in the blue shirt.”
Starting her career with Arsenal five years ago, Kelly made her debut for the Gunners in July 2015 against Watford in the Continental Cup – scoring inside 22 minutes – and went on to sign her first professional contract at Meadow Park in February of the following year.
That summer, Kelly joined Everton on loan and impressed during her initial spell on Merseyside before linking up with the club for a second temporary spell in July 2017 following the Blue Girls’ promotion to the top tier of the women’s game.
Just six months later, she agreed terms on a permanent deal with the Club and was a key figure for them until her recent departure.
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On the international scene, Kelly started her foray into England’s set-up with the Lionesses’ Under-15s and rose up through the ranks, helping the Under-20s to a third place finish at the 2018 FIFA U20 World Cup, alongside City starlets Georgia Stanway, Ellie Roebuck, Lauren Hemp and Esme Morgan.
In November 2018, she was handed her debut for the senior team in a 3-0 friendly win over Austria and has since secured three more caps.
Already familiar with much of the City squad through international duty, Kelly hopes to follow in their footsteps for both Club and country, establishing regular starting spots and lifting trophies.
“Players have made huge steps since moving to Manchester City,” she added.
“I’ve been watching them and seeing how much they’ve developed and it’s made me eager to do the same.
“If I can learn a little thing from each of the players to take into my game, it will be massive.
“I’m really excited to get going with team and the coaching staff.”
Reflecting on his first signing, new manager Gareth Taylor commented: “We’re thrilled that Chloe has put pen to paper to join us here at Manchester City.
“She is an incredibly exciting young talent who has broken onto the scene in the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and the England set-up in recent years, but there’s still so much more to come from her.
“I’m delighted that we now have the opportunity to help Chloe in the next part of her development journey as she continues her growth as a player on the way to fulfilling her potential.”
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Head of Women’s Football Gavin Makel added: “Chloe is one of the most exciting young talents within the game and I am as equally excited to see her play for the Club.
“Our ethos around recruiting and further developing young talent is again evidenced here and alongside other young players within the squad, Chloe is a perfect example of that strategy.
“She is the type of player that gets fans out of their seats and we look forward to seeing her in City blue.”
