How do Chelsea replace Sam Kerr? Blues' striker search at breaking point after Khadija Shaw, Salma Paralluelo & Felicia Schroder rejections

Signing a striker was a top priority for Chelsea in this summer transfer window. Catarina Macario left the club in March before Sam Kerr departed at the end of the season, leaving the Blues with Mayra Ramirez, who played just one minute of football last term, and Aggie Beever-Jones, for whom an update on her future, as her contract approaches its expiry, still hasn't been announced. But with Chelsea's top three targets now committed elsewhere, what is next for the club in their search for a top centre-forward?

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  Underwhelming numbers

  The numbers don't lie; Chelsea were not good in front of goal last season. Not since the 2018-19 campaign, their last to also not end in WSL title glory, had the Blues scored fewer league goals than the 44 they managed this past campaign, while only three teams - relegated Leicester City, third-from-bottom West Ham and newly-promoted London City Lionesses - under-performed more in front of goal, according to expected goals statistics. Chelsea's shot conversion rate was also the third-lowest in the WSL, only above Leicester and West Ham.

  There were uncontrollable factors which contributed to this at times. Kerr only returned from a 20-month injury lay-off at the start of the campaign, for example, so took time to get up to speed, while Ramirez missed the entire season due to a hamstring issue. Beever-Jones and Macario also had knocks, leaving Bompastor to play Lauren James or Alyssa Thompson out of position to fill the centre-forward role on occasion.

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  One stand-out name remaining

  All signs pointed to centre-forward being a serious priority for Chelsea, then, with there some surprise that it wasn't an area targeted more in January, even, such were the Blues' struggles. Links to Shaw made sense, especially in a market with so few proven strikers available, but she chose to stay in Manchester. The high potential option of Schroder was then next up on the wish list, but her move to Madrid was announced last week, despite a huge bid from Chelsea.

  Paralluelo is the stand-out name that remains on the market but she, too, has said no to Chelsea. According to The Athletic, the Blues made an offer to Paralluelo earlier this month, but it was rejected as it did not meet the player's wage demands, which exceed £1 million a year.

  The 22-year-old is an interesting player. Sometimes deployed as a centre-forward and sometimes used out wide, Paralluelo has both stolen the show and underwhelmed in her senior career to date, with that long-term consistency still something to be attained at her young age. Arsenal, Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain and cash-rich London City are all vying for the honour of trying to help Paralluelo reach that point, whereas Chelsea clearly believe they can get better value elsewhere.

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  Few other elite candidates

  Where might that be? Could it be in Lyon, where Marie-Antoinette Katoto has yet to really set things alight since her high-profile move from PSG?

  The France international swapped clubs last summer, after an acrimonious exit from the capital. She departed as PSG's all-time top goal-scorer, with a record of 180 goals in 223 games. But in her first season with OL, she scored just six times in the league and once in the Champions League, with starts hard to come by in Europe, especially amid competition for the No.9 role from Ada Hegerberg.

  There's nothing to suggest Lyon will sell Katoto, who signed a four-year contract last summer. After all, she has been a consistently brilliant goal-scorer in her career to date and one below-par season, which came as she adapted to Jonatan Giraldez's style of play, won't be a huge concern.

  But if Chelsea want to bring in a top-level centre forward to be the focal point of their attack, she is one of the few elite names that comes to mind who is not currently in a position at her own club which is perfect and, as such, immune to the temptation Chelsea might bring.

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  Ready for the next step

  Aside from Katoto, other world-class, elite level names are hard to come by. Barbra Banda, of the Orlando Pride, does only have one year left on her contract in the United States so, naturally, is a player that will attract attention and potentially bids from elsewhere. That said, it would likely take something monumental to prise her away from Florida. Temwa Chawinga, meanwhile, just signed a new three-year deal with the Kansas City Current, after clinching the NWSL MVP and Golden Boot awards in back-to-back seasons.

  Perhaps the best other option out there for Chelsea, who isn't quite at that elite level yet but has shown signs she can get there, is Romee Leuchter. Signed in the summer of 2024 by PSG, she would play second fiddle to Katoto in her first season before assuming the starring role last term, following the France international's departure. With that status, Leuchter top-scored in the Premiere Ligue and also netted five times in Europe, despite PSG's shock early exit.

  Leuchter is still only 25 years old, is entering the final year of her contract and will absolutely be on the radar of top clubs, with good reason.

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  Looking for high potential?

  Or do Chelsea want to take a similar route to that they were trying with Schroder? Do they want to sign a top young player who they believe can become a world-beater? The problem there is that players like Schroder don't grow on trees. As one of the most prolific goal-scorers in Europe at 19 years old, she is a total outlier.

  One of the only names of that ilk that exists, in terms of a young striker who has shown the ability to perform at a very high level on big stages and could be ready for that next step, is that of Michelle Agyemang, the 20-year-old England international who plays for one of Chelsea's biggest rivals: Arsenal. Though still recovering from an ACL injury, Agyemang showcased her ability to perform under the highest pressure at Euro 2025, where her contributions helped the Lionesses defend their crown.

  Her path into the Arsenal first-team, though, is extremely competitive, especially if, as expected, the Gunners add Selina Cerci to a centre-forward department that already contains Alessia Russo and Stina Blackstenius. Signing Agymenag would be a potentially impossible move for Chelsea to pull off, but top clubs would be foolish not to be monitoring her situation, both this summer and beyond.

  There are other top young strikers out there, too, but the kind of which are much less proven and would represent much more of a risk, especially when it comes to contributing right away.

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  Targets dwindling

  Chelsea's striker situation is not a total nightmare right now. Despite being linked with Real Madrid by ESPN earlier this year, Ramirez is still at the club, and Schroder's move to the Spanish capital may well cool their interest in the Colombia international. Ramirez had a very difficult year last term with her hamstring injury, but she did play two games for her country at the start of June, which is a good sign. What Ramirez brought to the table for Chelsea in the 2024-25 campaign was excellent, too, and Bompastor will hope she can replicate it in 2026-27.

  Beever-Jones is also expected to remain at the club, despite her contract expiring this summer and no announcement having been made yet about a renewal, with James and Thompson also options up top if needed. But, as Chelsea learned last year, an injury or two can quickly eradicate any depth and lead to serious issues when it comes to competing for trophies, especially if it impacts fortunes in front of goal.

  If the Blues want to return to the top of the WSL, they have to sign a striker this summer who can make a difference. Who will that be? It's becoming more and more unclear.