Fran Kirby and Sam Kerr to stay at Chelsea? No reason to 'panic' about expiring contracts says Blues boss Emma Hayes

Both Kerr and Kirby have been integral cogs in Chelsea's winning machine over the last few years, which has included four successive Women's Super League titles. However, both players have contracts at the club that expire this summer and Kirby even said this week that she is yet to enter talks about a renewal. Kerr's situation, meanwhile, has been complicated by an ACL rupture that the star striker suffered last week.

Speaking to the Daily Mail on Thursday, Hayes said: "The focus for Sam right now is on rehab. I'm sure when the time is right to discuss her future, that time will come from Sam and the club, but Sam loves Chelsea and Chelsea loves Sam so I think that's the most important thing to say on that front.

"I think when it comes to Fran, it's not unusual for players to go into the last six months of their contract. Fran knows that our goal with her is to keep her on the pitch for 100 per cent of the season, not less than 50 per cent. She understands that and sometimes she's a bit impatient. She wants to do everything at once but we know what a talent she is, we know what we can expect from Fran and I'm sure, again, when the club and the player and all of the people involved with that have something to announce on that front, they will.

"But I don't think anybody should be too panicked just because of the timelines. We have worked over 11 years to put in place a structure to make sure we're always planning and preparing and I think Chelsea and its future is still in a very, very good place."

Chelsea are already going to be dealt a major setback in the summer as Hayes is to leave the club after 12 years at the helm to become head coach of the United States women's national team. The Blues' hierarchy has some work to do to ensure the squad her successor inherits is in good shape, then, with veteran defender Maren Mjelde and first-choice goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger also out of contract this year, though the latter has an option for a further season in her deal.

Kirby is Chelsea's all-time top goal-scorer on the women's side, having scored 103 goals since arriving from Reading in 2015. Kerr isn't too far behind her, either, on 99 goals despite only joining the club in January 2020.

Chelsea will return to action this weekend with an FA Cup fourth round tie against West Ham, which will be their first fixture after the winter break. They will have to beat the Hammers without Kerr but also without captain Millie Bright, who remains sidelined with a knee injury.