Chelsea are currently in talks with Manchester United over a potential transfer for United’s forward, Melvin Malard. The talks have seemingly advanced.
The deal could be worth approximately £850,000, plus add-ons, with personal terms not expected to be an issue.
If the deal goes through, it would be a club-record sale for Man United and the highest fee a women’s club has received for a player with a year left on their contract.
Malard is entering the final year of her contract, and it has become clear that an agreement over new terms will not be reached. United were keen not to lose a high-value player on a free transfer, having done so in previous windows when Alessia Russo and Mary Earps both left the club.
The 26-year-old first joined Manchester United in 2023 on loan, and since then has scored 23 goals in 95 appearances over 3 seasons.
Malard has experience of playing under Chelsea’s head coach Sonia Bompastor during their time at Lyon, and has known each other for at least a decade. She would become Chelsea’s third signing of the summer, who have already added midfielder Manaka Matsukubo and defender Katie McCabe, and would add safety to Chelsea’s depleted forward line following the exits of forwards Sam Kerr and Cat Macario.
Should this deal go through, Malard’s exit would be a significant loss for Man United in the forward line. In the last season, she provided 10 goals and 10 assists in 40 appearances across all competitions, including four goals and five assists in United’s historic Champions League campaign.
Manchester United will look to invest Malard’s fee to reinforce their own ranks. So far, they’ve only signed one player, defender Andrea Medina, who is a free transfer from Atlético Madrid.
Man United were focused on the transfer window during the early weeks, as they moved out players from the squad. Three to four signings are expected later in the window, as the defence and forward lines need to be improved. A goalkeeper is expected to join shortly.
Malard scored four Champions League goals last term to help United reach a maiden European quarter-final. She also scored six times in the Women’s Super League (WSL) in 18 starts. She was also part of the France squad that reached the knockout stages of Euro 2025 last summer.
