Barcelona has finalized the transfer of Brazilian forward Kerolin from Manchester City, with the deal reportedly valued at around £1.25m, setting a new record for the largest fee ever received by a WSL club. This surpasses the previous record of £1m for Olivia Smith's move from Liverpool to Arsenal last summer. Kerolin's move to Barcelona comes after just over a year with Manchester City, where she had two years remaining on her contract.
However, Barcelona made her a top priority following the loss of key players to WSL clubs, including Alexia Putellas and Mapi Leon to London City Lionesses. The Brazilian forward had a remarkable season with City, scoring nine goals in 15 league games and helping the team secure their first WSL title since 2016. This transfer marks a significant departure from Barcelona's usual transfer policy, as they have never paid a fee exceeding £500k before. Kerolin's exceptional talent and dedication to the sport, honed from playing barefoot with boys on the streets of Sao Paulo, made her an exception to the rule.
Her move to the four-time European champions seems almost inevitable, given her ambition to play among the world's best. As she leaves Manchester City as a WSL champion, her switch to Barcelona is seen as a natural progression in her career, one that she had envisioned from the start.